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Polling: What are 5-10 of the biggest issues that are affecting (negatively or positively) the youth in our society? If you have 1 or 10, let me know, your input is essssssssential. Thanks!

Sermon Prep

I will be preaching this Sunday in Baltic, and I have been very convicted of the innumerable ways to end up in hell by not choosing the narrow door written about in Luke 13. Here's how most people in America will find hell: Birth, school (maybe even Sunday school), cell phone, High school, sports, college, parties, job, car, marraige (although that's becoming questionable), house, a nice church that meets all their descriptive needs and has very short sermons in order to get home for football, children, retirement, grandchildren, dead. Not much Jesus in the equation, and ultimately, this is the wide gate that leads to destruction and eternity out of God's presence in hell. Funny thing is, most of the things I listed aren't necessarily bad, they are almost always great things from the hand of God; however, in most cases Jesus is taken out, and people who say they are Christians get bogged down in political issues, bashing the new liberal president because he doesn't have Judeo-Christian morals, and these religious people are almost never involved in missions or evangelism for Jesus aside from handing over their tithes because it's what their parents and grandparents always did. This would be the wide gate of "religion" that Mark Driscoll consistently freaks out over. This will also be the wide gate I will freak out over in three days, Lord willing. More to come about what the narrow gate looks like for us in the 21st century.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

Keeping Busy

My greatest apologies for not keeping up to date (as my gracious sister reminded me, thanks Amber!)... No excuses, but working 30-40 hours a week, helping with worship Sunday mornings and evenings, occasionally preaching at Christ Fellowship or teaching kids, and leading youth group in Emery has filled up my schedule a little bit. What time I do have free I feel like it should be consumed with exploring and brainstorming ways to make incredible theological truths (that excite and blow my mind) excite and deeply move the youth in Emery... some of whom just don't get as excited about penal substitution as I do. My goal is not only to, only by God's grace and the Holy Spirit's work on their hearts, excite them and ascent them to the knowledge of incredible truths about Jesus Christ, but to turn the "head knowledge" into "heart wisdom." 

I guess in prayer request you could pray that I can keep up the reading that I would like to while still wringing out my brain and heart into Tuesday night youth-group sermons.

My summer is going well, I'm enjoying a time off of school work, and I'm really excited to report that one of my coworkers accepted Christ at an overnighter at work (where a bunch of youth groups come and hang out all night riding go-karts, mini-golfing, and the like...) It was totally unexpected, and he was the only person to raise his hand in the corny, super-awkward "with every head bowed" alter call... However, up until that, the message was incredible, and my coworker was convicted, as I could see it in his eyes. Pray for him, please.

Lastly, I'm excited to announce I've been considering a new vision for a "youth-only church." I don't know how this will look or any details at all. I'll hopefully be sketching it as I go, but hopefully it would bring together different denominations of junior high, high school, college studentsto provide for them a place of youth fellowship, reformed theology, contemporary worship (full of hymns... Matt's favorite oxymoron: Contemporary hymns), and finally biblical, radical preaching that I pray would be Spirit led and convicting for my generation... Pray for this if you would...

Love, Matt

Summer

Summer has arrived, and I'm excited to relax, do some work at Thunder Road, read some books, and hang with the family. I'm staying in Sioux Falls, helping with worship at a church plant in Baltic, hopefully doing some teaching and preaching there as well, and by God's grace being of some blessing to their church this summer.

I'm starting Robert Murray M'Cheyne's infamous reading plan, which includes the reading of the Old Testament once, the Psalms & New Testament twice in a year. I'm sure it won't be easy (by any means) to keep on going through the school year in the fall, but I'm hoping I'll be grounded in it enough by then that I can keep up.

As for now, due to ridiculous lack of thought organization, my "book" writings are off. I'll settle with recommending Driscoll for the friends.

More Reformed Rap

If you're getting sick of this, get over it... I couldn't take it anymore, I had to buy all of Shai Linne's albums. His songs simply point to what reformed theology points to, the cross... Check these ridiculous lyrics... I'm a firm believer in the spiritual gift of rhyme.

Verse 1:
There’s something you gotta see, journey with me
It’s approximately 30 A.D.
In the land of Israel- the city of Jerusalem
But on the outside there’s screams and loud cries
Through faith, this scene can be seen without eyes
The mean shout lies and seem to sound wise
As we inch through the crowd, we need to be cautious
A Roman execution, men on three crosses
But all the focus is on the one in the center
The gate closes behind you- no one can enter
The sight you behold is so odd, you’re stunned
The man hanging on the cross is God the Son
12 noon, it’s pitch-black because the sunshine’s lacking
Your minds can’t fathom this divine transaction
As slowly the sound becomes mostly drowned
You realize that you’re standing on holy ground

Bridge:
So forever will I tell
In three hours, Christ suffered more than any sinner ever will in hell (4x)

Chorus:
It’s where we see Your holiness- at the cross
We see that You’re controlling this- at the cross
We see how You feel about sin- at the cross
Your unfathomable love for men- at the cross
It’s where we see Your sovereignty- at the cross
We see our idolatry- at the cross
We know that there’s a judgment day- from the cross
May we never take our eyes away- from the cross

Verse 2:
We’re now in the realm of the sublime and profound
With God at the helm it’s about to go down
The Father’s wrath precise will blast and slice
The priceless Master Christ as a sacrifice
Willingly, He’s under the curse
To be treated as if the Son was the worst scum of the earth
The scene is the craziest
Jesus being treated as if He is the shadiest atheist
How is it the Messiah is in the fiery pit
As if He was a wicked liar with twisted desires?
The One who’s sinless and just
Punished as if He was promiscuous and mischievous with vicious lust

"It's all relative"

I had a delightful ride back from a White Sox game tonight via public transportation... And there were some pretty intoxicated individuals on the train, which made for a humorous trip. One thing I overheard was two guys, one anti-Obama, one pro-Obama talking about his term thus far... It was a chill conversation, and at the end they both agreed that either of them could be right, and it didn't matter what one another thought. (This was a nice way of putting it.. I think their actual words were something like "#$^% it.") Excuse my french; however, this is what we live in, this is what I hear all the time.

As I was thinking how to minister to the people who might not be hostile towards the Gospel, will have conversation about it, but won't ascend to it, I came up with some things. First, I think that this culture is OPEN to discussion. I really do. Just like these men, I think that our culture is willing to discuss and talk about Christianity, God, etc... but I don't think they want it. They don't care what you believe, but "don't push it on me." Honestly, I don't know how to minister to this relative (no absolute truth) culture, but I am learning.

Mainly, I think that to reach this post-modern, hippie, relative generation, I think it's going to take an uncanny kind of love. Also, I think that this generation is MUCH more likely to run towards the Reformed side of things. They have seen their generation of parents practicing tradions in the church, but they haven't experienced or seen true life changes. Our churches had better be ready to accept any and all people "just as they are." However, I don't think many churches today are ready to do that.

I see something in my generation of believers who are looking to go into ministry that is so, so encouraging to me. I see a generation that loves Jesus and loves the cross. I think that something different is happening with my class and generation here at Moody, and I could be wrong, but it really feels like the Spirit is working on something huge with our generation... In our lifetime, we will almost undoubtedly have to deal with BIG issues on homosexuality and "so called" gay marriage. In fact, it might even become illegal to condemn homosexuality from the pulpit soon. No more comfort for the American church. When Paul said put on the full armor of God, it wasn't a joke. It's time to strap up. Get your pads on, stretch out real good, put a helmet on, and get ready for a difficult road ahead.

Might I just add, put all this on very, very confidently... We've already one... O death, where is your sting?

Muslim culture... here we come

Kind of speaks for itself... Eerie