Below is video of me teaching about The Spotlight Myth. I kicked off a series through the Sermon on the Mount for this group. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPtbSUpqVFA?list=UUdLz82V0k8JPeWelvcm_gWg&w=560&h=315]
The Angry Man: another letter to my daughters and my women students
Today I read several warnings against the angry person in Proverb 29. There are frequent reminders of the wickedness of an angry person (vs 2). There is warning of the angry person's tendency toward stirring things up (22). The angry person will frequently and/or suddenly lose his temper like a fool (11) instead of having the life skill (wisdom) of holding back. He will always be quick and hasty to speak instead of thinking things out before he opens his mouth (20). The primary issue does come down to pride, and it will always bring the man (and anyone connected to him) lower and lower down (23). There is less as less humility in the angry man's life because he refuses to hear and listen to the helpful reproof given to them from people they trust to speak into their life (1,9,15). While only by God's grace, I find less of these things wrecking my heart, and I only say that with a knock on wood, I could not help but think of you as I read today. I could not help but fast forward to the days you begin dating and considering marriage.
My prayer for you today, and my hope for you, and my statement to you today is:
I can all but beg you to stay away from a man (a boy) who gets angry often OR suddenly. This is a HEART issue (Matthew 5:21-22), and he will not change.
God's grace is miraculous and can change the heart, but you cannot. The man who is angry and does not listen to the challenge of wiser people is NEVER GOING TO CHANGE if you just hold on to the benefit of a doubt and you will continually be brought into that pride, anger, and foolishness as you keep yourself around.
Understand what I am saying; they CAN change, but they WILL not change. Understand the difference between these two. If they. CAN change, leave them be until they do. Otherwise, you are caught in the storm, and it will paIn me greatly to walk with you there.
When I tell my students not to listen to their parents
As a college pastor, there are a few very common conversations I have always had with several students like it was the first time. One of those conversations walks students through following God's intent for their lives to the chagrin and often in the face of their parents' intent for them.
Acts 21:10-14 shows Paul being clear of God's intent for his life in the face of people who love him. They are people who deeply care for Paul, and he knows that is the reason it breaks his heart so much when he sees their advice and strong intent going against what he KNOWS God has told him to do.
This stress of the tension between disappointing those who care for you in order to follow God's intent for you is one I hear all the time.
There has to be a challenge here for all of us to answer God's call while realizing it is not what our loved ones will aways want for us.
Pumpin' the wattage into your cottage
I was asked this morning to be on the radio this Thursday to speak about college and young adult ministry. It is a great opportunity to spread the word about a demographic the church knows less and less how to reach and particularly about what it does look like.
We have already briefly discussed the reality that this is a group that is rapidly giving up on church, faith, etc. That reality drives a lot of us who doing what we can to reach out to this group.
They have asked that I prepare about 15 questions they can ask of me.
HERE'S WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP!
If you are involved in college and young adult ministry: If you were were given this opportunity, what would you want to be sure you addressed? If you were given an open radio mic to speak about the ministry you love to and for college students and young adults, what would you want to broadcast to many people who do not know how to reach this 'people group' we love?
If you are NOT involved in college and young adult ministry: Do you ever read this blog or hear other things from me and wonder "What the heck is he doing anyway?" If you could ask a college pastor anything about reaching this 'postmodern', 'post-Christian', generation-X-Y-Z, etc., what would you want to ask? Do you just wonder what I actually do at the coffee shop every day? What questions do you have?
I will be on air this Thursday, so I need your questions as soon as possible. You can comment them here at Ragamuffin Ramblings.
You can email them to ragamuffinpc@gmail.com
You can tweet me your questions @ragamuffinpc