Why are people converted in their younger years?

Some great reflections over here by Pastor Ying on why people get converted in their younger years. He says:

So why such an emphasis on the young? Why so much energy and resources directed to this group? One explanation is the commonly held perception that most people are converted in their teenage years. This was the message that was certainly conveyed to me at one conference I attended a few years ago and repeated again at another conference. So if this is true, it’s not surprising that we should be strategically throwing on we can to reach them. However I wonder just how true this is? In a lecture Dr Don A Carson gave at St Barnarbas Broadway in Sydney, some years ago, he was challenging this commonly held perception. His argument was that, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, the high conversion amongst young people can be reasonably and easily explained as a function of the shear amount of resources we direct to reaching this group.

Such a great insight! It's a shame that there is so much attention focused on the equipping of younger people at the expense of the older generations (not that I'm against the equipping of younger people, just think it should be fair).

One problem I can see with such abundant provision of training to younger people with the exclusion of older people is that younger people will begin to think (and it's really not a big jump) that we have all the answers and will become arrogant. Older generations have some things that we (younger people) desperately need that cannot be taught at conferences or in courses - experience and Godly wisdom.

This is something I have been humbled by as I've listened to older Christians talking about their lives and struggles (for example in the 9marks and other interviews) - they have so much to teach us as the younger generation.

Tonight I am heading to a night where young men and women will be able to ask questions of older Godly men and women about full-time ministry. There has been such a positive reception for this night from the younger people that I am sure there is a hunger from younger people for the wisdom and counsel of their elders. I pray that this will build up an increasing desire for more young people looking to the wisdom of their Christian elders.

Luke

New atheists - some thoughts

I previously blogged (briefly) about my interactions with some atheists on Hayley's blog after the release of the "Jesus all about life" campaign. I mentioned I would post some thoughts and here they are!

I found it quite frustrating trying to reason and provide some answers to the questions posed by these bloggers. My honest attempts to explain the Christian view on such things as the innerancy of Scripture and evidence for a creator were (in my opinion) beaten down with trite comments and reams of unrelated opinion about how Jesus isn't real and Christianity is just stolen from ancient Egyptian mythology (really??).

I've since been reflecting on the nature of the exchanges and have been listening to how better debaters and apologists than I deal with atheists and other critics of Christianity (this upcoming movie - Collision, looks interesting). I also, in God's providence, read and listened to some helpful things (a talk by Paul Grimmond and Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by Packer) which have shaped my thinking.

It seems that when it comes to debating with people who are against Christianity, there is little hope in changing their opinion. No one will be 'argued' into the Kingdom. People will only understand the gospel if they have 'ears to hear' ( Deut 29:4, Ezek 12:2, Rom 11:7-8). Thus the purpose of debating with atheists and others about the gospel is to convince those in the crowd who are unsure, those who God is at work in.

This is a hard thing to accept in our age because of the high importance we put on the reasoning of man. We are so impressed with our own understanding and intelligence that we cannot fathom how the way in which God works in peoples lives and hearts has nothing to do with our reason and argument. Sometimes, God can and does use argument and reason to bring people into the Kingdom, but we must remember that it is God who does the work, not us. A humbling mindset, but a true mindset.

In all my encounters with unbelievers where I must stand for the gospel and use my God-given intellect to answer their questions, there must be a solid dependence on God. I must be as fervent in prayer as I am in argument and must remember my frustrations in the light of the fact that I am not sovereign, God is.

Luke

Ryan Ferguson recites scripture

If you've never seen these, take the time to have a listen. Ryan is incredible. Bob Kauflin provides a bit of background on him at his blog and also gives a link to a method proposed by Dr. Andy Davis on scripture memorisation. Worth a read (beware, it is quite detailed).

Ryan recites Hebrews 9 and 10:


Ryan recites Psalm 25:



Ryan recites Psalm 22:


From these I think its clear to see the importance of scripture memorisation, something I am very bad at. The bible becomes less of a text book and more of a living book - the very thing it is!

Luke

Zombie fun for Monday

Sorry guys, haven't blogged for a while. It's been busy.

Some light entertainment for you all on a Monday courtesy of Nathan - zombie stuff.

I especially liked this:And this book:

Now all I have to do is convince Gem to let me buy the zombie climbing out of the ground for our first house....

Luke

Danger of the praise of man

Great quote from Spurgeon:

That same spirit which makes us love the praise of men makes us dread the threats of men. You cannot be pleased with the adulation of mankind without becoming fearful of tour censure. It is a perilous thing to taste of human honor: if it makes you sick, it is the best thing it can do for you. If you despise it utterly, it is the only way of bearing it without being injured by it; for I say again, delight in the praises of others saps the foundations of a man's manhood: delight in the praise of men takes a man off from following after the glory of God, and makes him afraid of following the truth if it cost him ridicule.

Luke

Can't have two masters...

This is an incredibly sobering article about Jack Whittaker, a man who won the largest single lottery win in history (US$314m). What is especially sad is that I genuinely believe that he originally had good intentions for his win.

In response I prayed that if I were to ever come into such wealth, God would give me the strength to give it all away and cling to the treasure of Christ. In fact, that is not strong enough. I pray that God would continually shape me and change me so that I might treasure Christ above all things, so that I can say that even when I lose all things in my life (money, possessions, car, home, iPhone, friends, wife, life itself), that I would consider it gain; as I would have Christ.

Over at his blog, Z reminds about what the bible says of such wealth in 1 Timothy 6:6-10.

1 Timothy 6:6-10:
6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Luke

Update: Clinging to Christ as a treasure really ties to a great video of John Piper where he talks about how to live a life that shows Christ is your treasure. He says this about money:

Money is given to you so that you might use money in a such a way that is shows that money is not your treasure; CHRIST is.

Leadership lessons

Justin gives an interesting list of lessons learnt in leadership by Chuck Swindoll:

1. It’s lonely to lead. Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decision, the lonelier it is.
2. It’s dangerous to succeed. I’m most concerned for those who aren’t even 30 and are very gifted and successful. Sometimes God uses someone right out of youth, but usually he uses leaders who have been crushed.
3. It’s hardest at home. No one ever told me this in Seminary.
4. It’s essential to be real. If there’s one realm where phoniness is common, it’s among leaders. Stay real.
5. It’s painful to obey. The Lord will direct you to do some things that won’t be your choice. Invariably you will give up what you want to do for the cross.
6. Brokenness and failure are necessary.
7. Attitude is more important than actions. Your family may not have told you: some of you are hard to be around. A bad attitude overshadows good actions.
8. Integrity eclipses image. Today we highlight image. But it’s what you’re doing behind the scenes.
9. God’s way is better than my way.
10. Christlikeness begins and ends with humility.

Scary to see how painful and hard many of these lessons look, such as 6 and 5, especially for those (such as myself) who are thinking about leadership in the future.

Luke