I've decided on a topic

When I was young 5 or 6, I wondered about being a preacher, but I knew I could never have that much to say. As a young adult, I have found much to say. As a youth minister, it is my responsibility to give students accurate and applicable Bible lessons. One has to answer, "how should I do that?"
Drugs, sex, and materialism are the main culprits that prey on teenagers today just as when you were young. Random passages or an arsenal of verses from various places in the Bible can be compiled to give an interesting, intriguing, and important sermon for teenagers to apply to their lives. Just look at any devotion book or sermon preparation aid, but one has to answer, "is that New Testament?"
Long ago (in the fall) I began taking teenagers on a trek through Romans as our study during Wednesday night worship. I answered to myself that teenagers need to hear how great God is in His mercy to us. I deeply desired to give students, teenagers, pre-adults a vision for how great God is. The first eleven chapters of Romans don't detail who to date, how far one should go on a date, or what music is "good". But Paul does tell a disciple how AWESOME God is in His mercy to him, to her, to me.
Tom Schreiner in his commentary on Romans warns the reader not to limit Paul's exhortation to the end of the letter - ch. 12-15 (cf 6:11-13, 8:12). Paul has described the peril of every individual born seperated from God and how God's merciful hand rescues individuals from such depths. ". . . telling what God has done for sinful humas - must underlie the imperatives outlinging one's duty and obligation to God. Carrying out the imperatives would be an impossibility without the indicative."
Why should a youth minister spend so much time telling a 21st century, myspace-ing, 10000-song-in-my-pocket teenager about a 1,952 year old letter?
I'll tell you why. Because God is as true today as He was 1,952 years ago, and God satisfies the minds, hearts, and souls of people regardless of culture and time.
I recently read C. S. Lewis's lecture "The Weight of Glory". He said, "Indeed if we regard the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, we would see the Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition WHEN INFINITE JOY IS OFFERED US, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mudpies in a slum because he can't imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea."
I answer to teenagers every week so they can know how great our God is.

Obessesive Weather Disorder

Last night my wife Karen and I were watching Law & Order as the weather reports began to thunderstorm on me. Lately, Karen has become subject to my rants about the absurdity of news commercials. I am astounded with the pride each major channel delights itself in communicating how effective, safe, and reliable it's weather reporting is.
This blog is another one of my brother-in-law's prophecies letting you know too much information about a blogger's life. Nonetheless, I hate weather reports. The forecast is always as enjoyable as you wish to enjoy it. Have a sunny day :)