High School Ministries

SAM 6/1/08: Movin' on Up

As we brought the new freshmen over to the HS room, we shared some of our past themes that are great themes for high school students. 

· “Terra Nova”                 Isaiah 42:16 (NLT)

¹⁶ I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.   

As you move into high school, you have many new experiences, you are moving into "new" and "higher" ground.  But you are not alone, God is with you wherever you go.  You might get stressed out and not feel that He is there...but He is.  So, remember that God accompanies you as He has always accompanied His people.

· “Don’t Climb Alone”       Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

In addition, high school is a time where you narrow down your friends and you spend more time with a few friends.   This is important--we need each other in the Christian life.  That is why we gather together, that is why we want to church to be an important community for you.  Don't Climb Alone, but have friends that move you forward in the Christian life.

· “Simplify”  Mark 12:29-31 (NIV)

²⁹ "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' ³¹ The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

· “Be Radical” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Finally, as you move through high school and try to follow Christ, it will lead to a different sort of life than others will live.  It will be a "radical" life.  And that's good.  As Christians, we want to be different because Christ lived different.  Know that, and strive for it.

In high school, there are all sorts of things that you can do.  Life can get pretty complicated.  But remember to simplify and do what's important--and life is all about loving God and loving others.  So, don't complexify but simplify your life, focusing on the main thing.

SAM 5/25/08: Why Sunday?

This Sunday at SAM, we stopped to think a little about why we do what we do.  Why do we come to church on Sunday?  We looked at reasons that people do not come to church--it's boring, it's too early, it's not that important or exciting, it is full of people who judgment or who talk about different values than others, etc.  We also talked about the reason that people go to church--things like it makes you feel good, it is where your friends and identity is, it is a way to show love for God, it is what you are "supposed" to do, parents make us, we said we would, etc.  Then we watched the NOOMA video called "Sunday" where Rob Bell talks about this very issue.  The point that he tried to make is that we should go because we love God; the Christian life is not about following the rules but about loving God.  He used the analogy of bringing home flowers for your wife--if you do it because you have to, she probably will not want the flowers.  In the same way, when we go to church because we have to, it is empty ritual.  God wants our hearts.  When he has our hearts, we will care about the people He cares about and do the things that He wants us to do.  This is a good thing to think about as we get ready to move into the summer months, where there is no SAM (so we can all go to worship) as well as we welcome new freshmen into the group.  Do people see us as a group that gathers because we love Jesus?

ELEMENT 5/18/08: Bigger and Better

We are finishing up the school year and we played bigger and better.  We started out with a paper clip and ended up with TVs, sinks, microwaves, swings...and other stuff.  In many ways, at the end of the school year, students have gotten bigger and better.  They are maturing physically and intellectually.  But the question is, are we getting bigger and better spiritually?  We know how that works in the game and in our physical lives, but how about in our spiritual lives?  We looked at Philippians 3:5-17, which pointed us to 2 things to do to get bigger and better.  The first is to KEEP PERSPECTIVE.  Paul had accomplished a lot in life, but he viewed it all as loss (as human waste...not just the junk we got!) compared to knowing Christ.  Yes, you accomplish a lot in high school....but it is nothing compared to knowing Christ.  The second thing is to KEEP PRESSING.  You always can get bigger and better spiritually--every one of us.  We keep pressing by LIVING UP TO WHAT WE KNOW--living out the truths we have been taught abotu God and by LOOKING TO EXAMPLES--of seeing Christians older, younger, and our age who are trying to know Christ more.  When we keep perspective and keep pressing on, we will get bigger and better spiritually. And this does not just happen in the school year, but all year and life on!

SAM 5/18/08: Hot Topics

This year in SAM, Brian and Frank talked about a couple of "hot topics" that you hear on the news, in political debates, etc.  But the discussion was not about politics but about faith--how our faith should inform what we teach.  Therefore, we were not talking about certain candidates or the election, but life in general.  In doing so, we remembered that there are essentials of the Christian faith (deity of Christ, inspiration of Scriptures, justification by faith) and there are non-essentials, where we can respectfully disagree as brothers as sisters.

The first thing that we talked about was the environment.  What should Christians think about all the environmentalism?  Brian talked about how God made the world and made it good (see Genesis 1), and in the midst of that creation, God made humans to have dominion and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:26-30).  Therefore, we are called to care for the earth, much like God cares for us.  However, we must remember that we are the rulers of the earth too--not the other way around.  This does not mean that we can do whatever we want to the earth, but that we should care for it.  The earth has seen the effects of the Fall, but will be redeemed like we will (Romans 8:22-23); therefore, we participate in the work of redemption by caring for the earth.  Therefore, we should have concern but we must not go overboard.  Frank added that he sees a little more urgency than Brian might note in his view, as Genesis 2:15 talks about working and keep the land--words that mean serve and keep.  Therefore, we should have environmental concern.  The bottom line in both views are that we should not be wasteful.  Is it a sin not to recyle a pop can?  It depends on your attitude.  But it would also be a sin to be self-righteous about your concern over against others.

The second thing that we talked about was war.  Students noted that this is a difficult topic, as we are told to love our neighbor and not to kill, but yet there are wars in the Bible.  What is a Christian to think?  Frank and Brian pointed out that Christians usually hold to one of two views (and they differ).  One view (Brian) is "just war" saying that war is bad and should not happen but because of sin, it is the only way to restrain evil sometimes.  Both the why and the how must be just--for example, it needs to be defensive and not to destroy a country but reclaim justice.  The nation must declare war and must not have civilian targets.  It must be the last resort.  This can be difficult to measure, and it does not say that war is good but that it is a "necessary evil" in this world.  While we are called to love our enemies, the state has authority to punish those who do wrong (Romans 13); thou shalt not commit murder refers to personally killing someone, not doing so in war.  However, Frank holds to another view that has been popular in church history--that of pacificism.  He sees the need to "love our neighbor" referring to countries as well; violence is not the way to have peace but peaceful resistance.  This view is not simply lying down but trying to have other ways to work towards peace than war; you are still called to stand up for injustice.  However, the problem Frank noted is what we do while people are suffering injustice.  At the end, there seems to be room and need for both views; Christians can hold to either view as long as they are seeking to know God and bring His justice to the world.  Ultimately, though, we cannot declare war on PEOPLE; so how do we solve our conflicts?  With violence, arguing, or like Christ?  When we see injustice in our lives and in the world, what will we do?  That is a question you must answer.

Talk Radical: 5/11/08 SAM

We talked about justificaiton, sanctification, and glorification a few weeks ago--but we left predestination to today because it is a tricky subject.  When we first hear the idea, we do not like the concept because it means that God has decided everything--including who will be a Christian and not.  We wonder why we should even try and if God has made evil things.  We also get creeped out about life--like in the movie, "Stranger than Fiction."  But when we examine the biblical teaching of predestination, we see that it looks different than our first impression.  First of all, we (everyone) has to answer the question, "Why is the world the way that it is?"  Why are their murders like at NIU, cyclones and earthquakes, wars and famines.  One answer could be--that is just the way it is.  However, then why do we think it is wrong?  A second option is that God is not in control, He is a loving God but cannot stop things from happening.  Is that helpful?  A third option is that God does everything and we have no options-then we are just robots.  However, the Bible gives a fourth option--God is in control, we are free and sinful, and God will make all things right.  We see this in Romans 9:14-29--God is in control, we are the clay that God is using, but He saves some but has evil endure for some reason.  God has a plan for His glory--but also for our good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11).  You see, we have this idea that everyone deserves a chance to be saved, to know God.  However, all are sinful (Romans 3) but God has decided to come into relationship with some people by grace (Romans 11:5-6); it is not because we are good but because.  That's right...because God desired it.  God has chosen to enter into relationship with some sinners and bring them back to him.  He has made some able to know him.  That is what predestination teaches.

How does this affect your life?  Know that God has a plan, He is in control, and He is in control of YOUR life.  However, you still make choices.  Your choices are real--you are not a robot.  But ultimately, He is in control.  Use your wisdom and prayer to make decisions, but remember that He is in control.

Begin Radical: 5/4/08

The foundation of our belief is the Bible.  We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, that it teaches us what to believe concerning God and what duty He requires of us.  However, there are many people who think that the Bible is not the Word of God; it was the document of a religion before science and better understanding of the world, as it explained the world by using God.  Now, however, they would say we know the world better and the Bible is like the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, or Santa Claus.  They would say that the Bible is not scientifically possible, it is not historically accurate, and that it is culturally repressive and outdated.  They have reasons for why they do not believe?  Do you have reasons for why you believe?  You can.  But first, let's look at what we believe about the Bible.

What do we believe about the Bible?

            A.  It was breathed by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

                       This means that the Bible is God speaking, the very words are the words of God.

            B.  It was written by humans (2 Peter 1:20-21).

                        Humans wrote it down, see their influence but through hand of God!

            C.  It has been preserved and translated by the church.

                        The church held onto the Scripture so we would have it today. 

                         It was translated so we could read it today. 

D.  It is illuminated by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

The Spirit brings the word of God to life, so we can apply it to our lives.

We have good reasons to believe.  So the question remains, if you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, what difference does that make in your life?

Therefore, it is:

            1.  Reliable (accurate)

            2.  Authoritative (guide for life)

            3.  Sufficient (all we need)

            4.  Understandable (by study-you don't have to crack a code)

Why do we believe this?

            You cannot prove that the Bible is true but you cannot prove it is not true.  Just like all of history, you have to look at the evidence to see if it make sense to believe that it is accurate history.  If the Bible is accurate, then Jesus is the Son of God; if it is not, then you can ignore it.  And there are good reasons to see the Bible and the gosples as containing accurate history.

            -It claims to be history (it is not designed as a novel)

            -Contains details of embarrassment throughout (the writers look like idiots!)

            -Gospels written within lifetime of witnesses of Jesus (and they did not contradict it)

            -Same stories told from multiple perspectives (independent but connected)

            -It leaves a lot of questions unanswered (what was Jesus like as a teenager)

           - Fits the culture but also is counter-culture

           -Archeological finds fit the culture, they do not contradict i

           -Compared to other gospels written, it is much closer to the time of Christ and more restrained

           -We have losts of manuscripts showing it has not been corrupted

C.Blomberg:  “But overall, 97-99% of the NT can be reconstructed beyond any reasonable doubt, and no Christian doctrine is founded solely or primarily upon textually disputed passages…There is absolutely no support for claims that the standard modern editions of the Greek NT do not very closely approximate what the NT writers actually wrote (p.194)

Talk Radical: 5/4/08 SAM

There are many different roles that people play in the church.  We might use terms like elder, deacon, missionary, evangelist, etc. but what does those things mean?  Who are the people in your church neighborhood?

Evangelists--Basically evangelism is just spreading the good news of the Gospel, and an evangelist, is simply someone who focuses on spreading the Gospel. 

Missions/Missionary--In most cases a missionary does the same thing that an evangelist does except that a missionary usually does missions work in a culture other than their own.  Often a missionary spends a great deal of time learning about the culture that they are going to so that they may in some respect become a member of that community.  One difference that is often seen in missionaries, and evangelists, is that missionaries often are involved in work projects that are used to improve the quality of life among the peoples that they are working with.

• You are whether you like it or not:  While it is true that there are those in our churches and communities that may specialize in being an evangelist or a missionary it is also not as clean cut as all that.  Anyone who proclaims the Gospel in any way is in reality an evangelist.  This means that while we call him a pastor, and he is, Chris is also an evangelist.  We call Brian our youth leader, or youth pastor, and he is, but he is also an evangelist.   And guess what you and I, because we call ourselves Jesus followers we are also evangelists.  We need to remember that because we claim to be his leaders we proclaim Jesus’ Gospel in the way we live our lives.

Deacon:  Deacons are people who are called to care for the physical needs of the congregation and the community that the church is a part of.  It is an office of service and sympathy.  In this way deacons are mostly associated with what we call mercy ministries.  These are just what they sound like, ministries that try to help people who are in bad situations.  This can take shape of things like the work we do at the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and some of the work we do with Feed My Starving Children.  These are ministries where we go out into the community to try to impact it in a physical way for the better.  But some of the mercy ministries that deacons do is at an individual level.  Deacons are usually given control of money that they get to use to try to help out individuals or families when they find themselves in difficult situations.

Elders are people who are charged with the spiritual health and growth of the congregations that they serve.  They teach and oversee the church.  Teaching:  All elders are supposed to be able to teach.  They are able to teach on sound doctrine, they are able to preach and teach from the scriptures.  Elders are supposed to be training others on Christian living and growing the congregation they serve in the faith.  Ruling:  Leading the congregation of the church is the other responsibility of the elder.  In this capacity an elder must be able to make decisions for the welfare of the church.  Settle disputes that arise in the church.  Elders must enact discipline when members in the congregation are in need of it.  But the most important way that elders lead is by setting a godly example with their lives that the others in the congregation can follow.

So those are some of the people in your neighborhood.  How do you function in the church?

Talk Radical: 4/27/08 SAM

In SAM, we continue to "Talk Radical," looking at "church words" and ideas.  This week we looked at different denominations.  Presbyterian is one denomination of Christian, like Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Assembly of God, Nazarene, Evangelical Free, Bible, Non-denominational, and the list goes on and on.  What is the deal with that?  We can look at the differences among them--often tied to where they started in history (denominations sprung up all throughout Europe and then came to America, where more denominations were formed).  They can believe different things in regards to church government, baptism, communion, and church culture.  Sometimes, we focus so much on the differences that we forget about the similarities.  As students goes off to college, they will often have to pick a different church.  Instead of focusing on how the churches are different, we can look at what is similar--the heart of the gospel.  Does a church believe we are sinners who are saved by the death of Christ and that faith in Him alone brings salvation?  If yes, then it is a Christian church--we are part of the same time.  The scary thing is that in each denomination there are churches that deny that, that do not truly preach the gospel.  Therefore, when you find out where someone goes to church, that is not enough--you must find out what they believe about Jesus.  If they believe he is Savior, then they are part of the same team.  So instead of focusing on what is different, focus on what is the same--Jesus.

Begin Radical: 4/20/08 ELEMENT

This week in ELEMENT we looked at a basic Christian concept--salvation.  But we wanted to go deeper.  What does it mean to be saved?  How are we saved?  How can we know that we are saved?  It all begins when we ask the question, "If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven?  How do you know?"  While this question does tell us that salvation means not going to hell when we die, there is more to it.  We are not just saved from hell but saved from sin--from its punishment (hell) but also from its power and effects during this life.  We are saved from the punishment, we are being saved from the power, and we will be saved from the presence of sin.  Eternal life means that we will not perish (John 3:16), but also that we know God (John 17:3) and live the full life (John 10:10).  Since salvation is knowing God and having a relationship with Him, it happens now.  We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)--which is not just knowledge (see James 2:19).  Faith is confessing with our mouth  and believing in our heart (Romans 10:9-11).  It is a turst, knowing, agreeing, and confessing.  Faith can have doubts (Mark 9:24) does not mean we are perfect (1 John 1:8-9) but will lead to good works (Ephesians 2:10).  And we can have assurance of salvaiton. See 1 John 5:13 which says that parts of the Bible were written so that we might know that we have eternal life.  That is powerful!  The Spirit testifies with our spirit (Romans 8:15-16).  While we will not always "feel saved" we are because God never lets go (Romans 8:38-39, John 6:37, John 10:28).  Rest assured, by faith you are saved, which is not just not going to hell but knowing God.

Talk Radical: 4/20/08 SAM

SAM this week looked at the "ation" nation, all those big fancy theological terms we use that end in "ation."  There are three basic ones that we wanted to look at:

Justification--this describe the moment we are brought to faith in Christ.  It is a technical term and happens at one point.  It happens because we become righteous--Christ takes our sin and we are given his righteousness.  It is a one-time event that happens for believers.

Sanctificaiton--describe the rest of our lives as we become more and more holy or set apart.  It affects how we live and follow Christ.

Glorification--this is what happens when we die, when we have sinless bodies and are in a state of glory.

But why do we care about these things?  It is the story of our lives, we are born (born again--justified) and grow (sanctify) until we die (glorified).  We become, mature, and complete--just like stories in literature.  We get to become what we are and fulfill that purpose.