All on a Saturday afternoon (please read)
I had a lot of fun today!!! I don't want to sound preachy, but this entry is simply to share the good news I heard with my friends, and to remind myself of what I learned. I encourage all to take this message to heart, though. From 9:00 this morning to 4:00 this afternoon, I spent my time, along with 149 other Lutheran teens, listening to an excellent and emotional speaker, by the name of Bob Lenz. I have heard him several times, now, and he always causes my brings tears to my eyes. he loves to joke around and have a good time, but he gets his point across. today, he addressed many youth-concerning issues:
-Heaven is better than:
-MONEY - money and fame don't get you into heaven. you should not make money a goal in life. so what, if someone famous can throw a ball, or bench press a car, or looks like a super model! money is so worthless in heaven, the streets are made of gold!
-FOOD - heaven is no-calorie, no-fat, no-need-to-eat! we will never go hungry there.
-WaveRunners - (those jet ski things) jet skis are real fun, but even they don't compare to heaven. and with heaven, there's no chance of flipping over!
-Getting DRUNK - yeah, it sounds weird. we should not get drunk on wine. getting drunk is sinful. anyone who says getting drunk is not fun either has not tried it, or is a liar. same goes for drugs and sex before marriage. sin is fun, for a time - says the Bible- but it comes with death. heaven doesn't come with a morning after, a hangover, loss of memory, or addiction.
- SEX - yes, you can say sex in church! in fact, we should be the people to explain sex. or else, children will learn about it in the cafeteria, on the playgrounds, in back alleys, or on the Web. sex is a way for married couples to express their love, and create new life. it's okay to look at the bodies of members of the opposite sex, and even to tell God about them. BUT, to look with lust is sinful.
-Bad things happen for a reason. and that reason is good. God loves us and would not do bad things to us for pleasure. DENIAL is when bad things happen, and we pretend like everything is ok. "Toilet Paper Roll Syndrome" is when you focus only on disaster, and don't see anything good. like looking through a toilet paper tube.
-Today's youth are not the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today. when it comes to reaching teens, other teens are the ones who can spread the Good News. church is no longer allowed in school, or government programs, so we are the embassadors of Christ.
-i forget what number he gave, but i want to say something like 90% of Kenya has AIDS, and it's up to us to be able to prevent it, by spreading awareness to them. in Kenya, the people believe that if you have AIDS, you can get rid of it by having sex with a virgin. so, little girls are raped in a hope to get rid of AIDS, but all that happens is that it spreads. for only $10, someone can sponsor the distribution of Purity necklaces to Kenyans and get one for themself, through Bob's Project Purity. I didn't have enough money to do it, but I wanted to get one.
-He mentioned that in life, we all have a calling, to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. even if it means giving up family time or a new tv. his daughter is coming down to help out on a mission trip to the Gulf South over Christmas, instead of celebrating Christmas with her family. he said it ticks him off, as a father, but he also said why should he want his daughter to be with him instead of helping other people. He told a story of a Georgia statesman, whose son asked to go to Kenya on a mission trip. the dad said "not with the civil war, and AIDS epidemic" but the son went anyway. as the son was leaving in an airplane, the dad's assistant heard him say, "why should I want my son to be a respectable Christian instead of a real one?"
So, let it be known, that I Nicholas Fenner, on this Third day of December in the year 2005, do promise my life to God and to accept my calling. May I never abandon Him or my calling, and may I always glorify him with my life - putting aside all personal desires and ambitions. Whatever life He chooses for me, I will gladly accept. For there is no greater joy than to give one's life for the Lord. If I should stray from this path, may my friends remind me of the promise I made today! Yours in Christ, Nicholas.
-Heaven is better than:
-MONEY - money and fame don't get you into heaven. you should not make money a goal in life. so what, if someone famous can throw a ball, or bench press a car, or looks like a super model! money is so worthless in heaven, the streets are made of gold!
-FOOD - heaven is no-calorie, no-fat, no-need-to-eat! we will never go hungry there.
-WaveRunners - (those jet ski things) jet skis are real fun, but even they don't compare to heaven. and with heaven, there's no chance of flipping over!
-Getting DRUNK - yeah, it sounds weird. we should not get drunk on wine. getting drunk is sinful. anyone who says getting drunk is not fun either has not tried it, or is a liar. same goes for drugs and sex before marriage. sin is fun, for a time - says the Bible- but it comes with death. heaven doesn't come with a morning after, a hangover, loss of memory, or addiction.
- SEX - yes, you can say sex in church! in fact, we should be the people to explain sex. or else, children will learn about it in the cafeteria, on the playgrounds, in back alleys, or on the Web. sex is a way for married couples to express their love, and create new life. it's okay to look at the bodies of members of the opposite sex, and even to tell God about them. BUT, to look with lust is sinful.
-Bad things happen for a reason. and that reason is good. God loves us and would not do bad things to us for pleasure. DENIAL is when bad things happen, and we pretend like everything is ok. "Toilet Paper Roll Syndrome" is when you focus only on disaster, and don't see anything good. like looking through a toilet paper tube.
-Today's youth are not the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today. when it comes to reaching teens, other teens are the ones who can spread the Good News. church is no longer allowed in school, or government programs, so we are the embassadors of Christ.
-i forget what number he gave, but i want to say something like 90% of Kenya has AIDS, and it's up to us to be able to prevent it, by spreading awareness to them. in Kenya, the people believe that if you have AIDS, you can get rid of it by having sex with a virgin. so, little girls are raped in a hope to get rid of AIDS, but all that happens is that it spreads. for only $10, someone can sponsor the distribution of Purity necklaces to Kenyans and get one for themself, through Bob's Project Purity. I didn't have enough money to do it, but I wanted to get one.
-He mentioned that in life, we all have a calling, to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. even if it means giving up family time or a new tv. his daughter is coming down to help out on a mission trip to the Gulf South over Christmas, instead of celebrating Christmas with her family. he said it ticks him off, as a father, but he also said why should he want his daughter to be with him instead of helping other people. He told a story of a Georgia statesman, whose son asked to go to Kenya on a mission trip. the dad said "not with the civil war, and AIDS epidemic" but the son went anyway. as the son was leaving in an airplane, the dad's assistant heard him say, "why should I want my son to be a respectable Christian instead of a real one?"
So, let it be known, that I Nicholas Fenner, on this Third day of December in the year 2005, do promise my life to God and to accept my calling. May I never abandon Him or my calling, and may I always glorify him with my life - putting aside all personal desires and ambitions. Whatever life He chooses for me, I will gladly accept. For there is no greater joy than to give one's life for the Lord. If I should stray from this path, may my friends remind me of the promise I made today! Yours in Christ, Nicholas.