SEXUAL EXTREMES

I've been in a series on sexuality and dating in our high school ministry the last 3 weekends.

We're trying to help students own a Biblical value of being thinking followers of Jesus who don't have a list of sexuality rules to try and follow, but rather a passion to honor God with all their body- physically, spiritually, mentally, relationally, sexually, etc... which changes everything.

I've been telling them every week that they ought to care what they do with their body because it affects their soul. Every week I say, "There is no such thing as a sex life. There's just your life. You can't compartmentalize your soul." To that end, last weekend, we taught on this text:

Romans 6:12-14 (NLT) Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace.

I love that honoring God leads to not more rules, but more freedom and grace. Oh how I need more of that in my life. I think the closer I get to Jesus, the more freed I become. Freed from the bond of sin and freed to be who God has created me to be.

Anyway, in my study for the last message in the series which is this weekend, I followed a few links that led me to these two videos. I think they could get students talking. Both have interesting commentary on the essence of our culture's opinions about sexuality and about the marriage dreams that begin even as a child. I think both will cause a reaction in you too.



They removed the embedding capabilities on the second video, so to view the topless coffee shop video, you have to go to this link.

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THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS ME NOW

I'm in a suburb of Salt Lake City and I'm trying to find the hotel I'm staying in and when I do, it's next to this Massive Ford dealership. And out in front of the dealership is this MASSIVE truck:

I think I'm getting old or changing or I dunno. Here's what i used to think:

• dang, cool truck.
• I want to get in that thing.
• How in the world do you see out of it? Who cares?!
• I bet that was fun to do.
  
• Let's go mud bogging.

Here's what I was thinking when I took the picture today:

• why?
• what a waste of money
• this is why they say America uses more resources than any other country on the planet.
• this is why kids are in poverty around the world, cuz Americans are putting $50,000 into lifting and painting fantasy dragon porn on the side of their trucks in the hopes that it will make other people buy more trucks.
• what exactly is the purpose of a side step that is 7 feet off the ground?
• I spent way too much time in Africa last year to appreciate this truck
• This truck is 10x larger than anything I've ever seen in Uganda.
• Crap... I own this same truck, just A LOT lower to the ground and a different paint job.
• I must be an idiot too.
  

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FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IN AMERICA

Well, TODAY, was the first day of school in America for Becky and Billy. That makes 5 kids, one substitute teacher, and one field trip dad in the public schools for our family.

We met with the principal on Monday morning to finalize a teaching plan for our newest recruits. Then by Monday afternoon we were back and they got to meet their teacher (Mrs. Olsen), sit in their desks, and see the place they'll call "school" for the next few months. Billy in particular has been doing the count down ever since. We told him "3 sleeps and then you get to go to school". Every night since he has told us what number sleep it was.

This morning he woke up saying, "Sleep 3 is all finished. Now we get dressed, eat breakfast, and go to school." So fun.

Shannon stayed through lunch and here's her account of the day. I got it in an e-mail she sent, so this is her first ever blog post of the 707 on here (without permission by the way)- shhhhh, don't tell her I stole it from my in box :)

• Mrs. Olsen is very kind and they were so happy to go today! I stayed with them and talked them through all of the processes until lunch time. I left them for the afternoon. When they came out of their classroom after school, they both seemed rather pleased-and a bit shell shocked- but all was well. Becky brought me into the room after school to show me the art project that she had done in the afternoon. The students had made a duck and on hers was written the word "duck". Very cute. The teacher has asked that I come back tomorrow morning until recess. That is when her small reading groups are going on and Becky and Billy need a little one-on-one direction until they are more able to work semi-independently. They used the computers in their classroom, loved having their own pencil box, and had a great time at recess. The other children were very attentive, a little too attentive!! Becky couldn't walk 2 steps without a girl or 3(!) holding her hands. I'm hoping that it all dissipates by Monday when they come back after the weekend and they aren't "new" any more. Jake found Billy and was his leader out on the playground. So nice for Jake to feel like he had a job of looking after them on the playground. Jake was pretty puffed up answering all the other kids' questions. His class has waited for these kids to come to school-they were all very excited! I so badly just want Billy and Becky to be "normal" and one of the "regular" Rancho kids. I hope soon... All in all, a successful day!! Another huge step towards our "new normal". The bonus-they were REALLY tired and took REALLY long rests today! LOVE THAT!! :)
  

And here's some pictures from day #1.

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JUST ONE QUESTION

Tonight in our guys small groups, we stumbled upon a question towards the end of our discussion.  I liked it.  I think it has potential to increase the "get it" factor among our dudes if we press it for a while.

So tonight I decided that I'm gonna put some planning and effort behind this question that I'm gonna ask every week for a while.  I'm gonna ask it of myself and my students:

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THIS WEEK TO BECOME THE MAN OF GOD YOU WERE CREATED TO BE?"

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PLANNING AND PRAISING

I've spent the last 2 days in planning meetings and prepartion for a thing we host each summer with some other churches called OGN.  This is the second time we've hosted the meeting at the Dana in Mission Bay.  Dang is this place pretty.  Makes you feel bad for being inside at all and guilty for living in San Diego.  I mean some of the people in these meetings live in Fresno.  Seriously.  Fresno.

Here's why Fresno house prices are $5 a square foot and SD's are $500.  I actually went the wrong way out of the Dana on our way to dinner tonight solely to snap this pic of an AMAZING sunset.  Man if I lived on the beach I'd set a date with God every sunset and watch him paint.  Simply incredible and a beauty beyond words.

Oh... and just to prove we're actually working and not just watching the sunset, here's the plan we've come up with for the teaching we'll be doing in the classes at OGN this year.  Yep, those are brain storm sticky notes on a window with a bay view.  I know, it's a tough life we're living, but someone's gotta use this conference room, so it might as well be us.

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WHAT THE..... WORLD IS HAPPENING HERE?

So, today was a fun morning at Encounter in our annual dating/sexuality series. We laughed, we thunk, we prayed, we talked, we read our bibles, we sang... good Sunday with some visitors, good student involvement, and pretty high engagement in our teaching.

In main service this weekend, the "adult services" are in the last Sunday of a campaign/ re-commitment/ vision casting series on the process our church has gone through to buy our buildings that started 18 months ago and is now at the half way point of a 3 year project. Good stuff. Important stuff.

But IF you were in high school, which series would you take your boyfriend/girlfriend to?

IF you were me, then you watched two separate couples at two separate times walk hand in hand smiling and giggling right past your high school room door, acknowledge you, and then keep on going to main service.

IF you are me, then you would scratch your head, wonder what in the world you are doing, and why two dating couples would ditch a dating series to go listen to a money talk while pondering stabbing yourself in the eye with a blunt object. 14 years of youth ministry has taught me I don't know jack about teens.

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