December 5, 2014- "CONSUMED"

This week at CATALYST, I shared about our culture's love of "stuff". 

We are referred to as "consumers", creatures that never stop consuming and are never satisfied. That's what companies and brands want. They don't want us to be happy with what we have because that means we won't buy their new products. They spend millions of dollars marketing their products as the next thing we can't live without so that we keep on consuming. 

But have you ever noticed that "stuff" never satisfies? We can want something for months and months, we can think about that thing ALL OF THE TIME, but then, a week after we get what we so desperately wanted, we don't feel the same excitement we felt when we first bought it, and it isn't long before we start wanting something else instead. The old adage, "Money can't buy happiness" is true. The celebrities in our culture might have fame and wealth, the power to buy anything they want, but have you ever seen a happy celebrity? Our love of stuff is the reason why our culture is largely drowning in debt. According to a study from 2013, Canadians owe $1.64 for every $1 we earn. We are spending more than we have, making ourselves slaves to banks and credit card companies.

As a Christian, I find it difficult to live simply in a culture that tells me that I need to keep upgrading, that I won't be happy until I have the newest piece of technology in my hand. When I'm constantly bombarded with ads, it's hard to differentiate between what I NEED and what I WANT. I've found two ways to combat the materialism and consumerism that surrounds us. When people tell me that I can't live without _______________, this is what I think about. It keeps me grounded in reality. It curbs my appetite to CONSUME.

1. BE CONTENT

"True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." -1 Timothy 6:6-8

"Take care, and be on guard against covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions". - Jesus in Luke 12:15

Are you happy with what you have? Do you realize how incredibly blessed you are to live where you do and to be so well provided for? Do you realize that we are counted among the richest people in the world? When people tell me that I need to buy a house, I think about how my 2-bedroom apartment is a PALACE to the 80% of the world that lives on $10 or less a day. Be thankful for what you have! Think about how truly rich you are! The best way to curb our appetite to CONSUME is to realize that, for the most part, we live without any real NEEDS.

2. BE GENEROUS

I've heard a lot of people say that God must be evil for allowing people to die of hunger or from diseases that could be easily cured, but the truth is, God has left US in charge. As some of the wealthiest people in the world, we have a responsibility to spend less in order to give away more.

The Bible has a lot to say about money. But, interestingly, the verses that talk about spending money on ourselves are few and far between (actually, I could only find one). The Bible tells us that this is how we should spend our money:

1. To take care of our own family (1 Timothy 5:8)
2. To help those who are in need (too many to mention, but Acts 11:27-30 and Acts 2:44-45 are good ones)
3. To support spreading the good news of Jesus (1 Timothy 5:17-18, 2 Corinthians 9, Philippians 4)

It's amazing that, from childhood, our natural inclination is to not share. Our natural inclination is to be selfish. It is important, and biblical, to fight against this. It's important to be generous. When we are truly grateful for all that we have, when we realize how incredibly rich we are, the natural next-step is for us to spend less in order to give more.

DISCUSSION/TIPS: 

1. Ask your teen to write a list of all of the things they have- the things that someone living in poverty in Africa might only dream of. It'll be a long list. (food, clothes, ipod, video games) Take some time to pray together and thank God for how blessed, for how RICH, you are.

2. Think about ways that you can give as a family this year. One of our family traditions is to let our kids pick a few gifts from the World Vision catalogue. I share with them about how rich we are and that God has blessed us, not so that we can have more stuff, but so that we can help people who have nothing. By visiting World Vision on Youtube, you can see videos of how gifts like chickens or water filters can make a person feel like they've won the lottery. Think about ways that you can spend less in order to give more.

 


 

November 21, 2014, OUT OF HIDING

Tonight, I shared about the story of Peter, one of Jesus' disciples who had witnessed all kinds of miraculous things (even Lazarus being raised from the dead). The Bible makes it pretty clear that Peter believed that Jesus was the Son of God (Matthew 16:16). Peter also told Jesus that "even if all the other disciples desert you, I will NEVER desert you". (Matthew 26:33). When Jesus challenged him about those words, Peter even had the audacity to say, "Even if I have to die with you. I will never deny you!" (Matthew 26:35).

Peter talked a pretty good game, but Matthew 26:69-75 records that, just a few hours after making those brazen statements in front of Jesus and the disciples, after Jesus had been arrested, Peter denied even knowing him THREE times! What's so interesting about this passage is that nowhere does it indicate that the people asking Peter the questions were out for blood. It doesn't appear that they were asking with any amount of hostility. In fact, the questioners were likely people who had heard about Jesus, the things he taught, the miracles he had done, and they were probably a little confused as to why Jesus had been arrested. Peter missed out on an amazing opportunity to tell people about his experience with Jesus, all because he was too afraid of WHY the crowd was asking questions and too afraid of how they might respond if he told them the truth.

If we call ourselves Christians (Jesus-followers) we need to be open and honest with people about what we believe. That doesn't mean we need to preach a sermon in our school hallway, but it could mean something as simple as telling people we were at CATALYST when we're asked what we did on Friday night. There is a lot of temptation to hide our faith and live like we don't know Jesus in order to be accepted by the crowd, but when we keep what we believe hidden, we might be missing HUGE opportunities to point our friends towards the God who loves them like crazy.

Coming in January, we'll be starting YOUTH ALPHA, a video-based series that explores some of the deep questions about faith, life and God. I'm really encouraging teens to bring a friend along with them! It might be a bit scary or intimidating to invite someone to a "church" event, but if we push past that fear, God might do something awesome in our friend's lives as a result!

DISCUSSION:

1. Have you ever let fear get in the way of you doing something that would have been awesome? Do you ever regret being too afraid to do something?

2. Encourage your teens to think and pray about who they can invite with them to ALPHA in January. Take the time to pray with them for those friends....that they would love to come, and that through the questions and discussions, that they would be introduced to Jesus.

2. Challenge your teen to mention the ALPHA series to one of those friends within the next week. Even though it might be a little intimidating or uncomfortable, encourage your teen to push past the fear. It could be as simple as saying, "My youth group is doing a cool video/discussion series that tackles big questions about God and life-- like 'does God exist?' and 'what's the purpose of my life?'. There's also going to be some fun games and free food-- like pizza!" It's going to start in January, would you be interested in coming with me?"

Friday, November 14, 2014: ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Tonight we talked about, arguably, the greatest superhero team-up movie, THE AVENGERS, and how, even heroes like Thor, Hulk and Iron Man need a little help sometimes. The tagline of the first Avengers movie was ASSEMBLY REQUIRED--that there's a need for these superheroes to work together in order to defeat hideous monsters and weird robots.

The Bible says the same thing to us-- that ASSEMBLY IS REQUIRED! That all of us who call ourselves Christians have a mission that requires us to work together as a team. The mission isn't to defeat hideous monsters, but it's to show and tell others that God loves them. Paul uses a pretty funny analogy to describe this kind of teamwork in 1 Corinthians 12. He describes the church (any group of Christians who regularly meet together) as being like a body made up of many different parts, but all of those parts work together as a team.

"Our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part. Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you". The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you". All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it."

1 Corinthians 12:18-21, 27

That passage conveys two important things:

1. You are here for a reason!

Just like our bodies weren't thrown together without any thought, Paul says that all of us are a part of the church for a reason- so that we would grow in our faith and grow tighter with God, but also so that we can plug in and serve in the unique way that only each of us can.

2. Without you, we're missing our arm!
Every part of your body is pretty important. If just one part went missing, life would be a whole lot harder and some tasks would almost be impossible to complete without some help. On the Amazing Race this year, one of the racers is Bethany Hamilton, a Christian surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack when she was a teenager. It is amazing to see what she can do with only one arm, but it's also a lot harder for her to complete tasks that would be relatively simple for us (try tying your shoes or buttoning your pants with only one arm!). Just like every part of our bodies is important, the Bible says that every single one of us has specific gifts, talents and interests that God has wired into us so that we can serve together as a part of the church. In short, we need you!  This youth group needs your involvement! This church (or the one you attend) needs your involvement! Without you, we're missing our arm. Sure, we can accomplish things, but think about how much easier it would be if we had your help! You don't have to wait until you're 37 be a part of "the body".

Discussion:

1. Imagine what life would be like if you were missing an arm like Bethany Hamilton. Think about your morning routine before you went to school. What would be more challenging? How would you brush your teeth? How would you put on your clothes?

2. Just like all our body parts work together as a part of a team, the people who make up the church are important parts of the team. If your teen serves in some aspect of church ministry, ask them what would happen if they just didn't show up. What would be different? Would it be easier for the church to accomplish its mission or harder? (for example, even being the person who cleans the toilets is ESSENTIAL. Without them, our building would stink, people would be disgusted and leave and first-time visitors would NEVER come back!)

3. If your teen doesn't yet serve in some aspect of church ministry (either on Sundays or during the week), encourage them to think about their own skills and interests (things that God has wired into them for a purpose) and ask them how they could help or serve in some way as a part of the team-- as a part of the Body of Christ. Without your teen, it's a lot harder for us to accomplish our mission!

4. Encourage your teen to talk to myself or another pastor (at this church or theirs) to find ways that they can be a part of the team!

November 7, 2014: Friend Request Part 3- MIND EACH OTHER'S BUSINESS!

This week, I wrap up our three part "Friend Request" series with a talk called "Mind Each Other's Business".

This week, we looked at one of the strangest (and one of the most disturbing) passages in the Bible, where Paul is writing a letter to the church in Corinth. Corinth was a multicultural city with multiple religions where the prevailing attitude was "If it feels good, do it". In short, it was like Las Vegas--only sleazier. When people first heard about Jesus and formed the church in Corinth, all of a sudden the Christians had to figure out how to follow Jesus while living in such a sin-sick environment. We have the same problem today. As Christians surrounded by people of different religions and values, where temptation is everywhere, following Jesus and living the way God wants us to do can be SUPER HARD.

The church in Corinth was pretty messed up. The Christians were still involved in idol worship, they were getting drunk off communion wine and they had even allowed temple prostitution to creep its way into the church (the pagan religions at the time were known for having sex in church as worship to their gods). In 1 Corinthians 5:1-2, Paul writes about a particular situation he got wind of-- a man in the church was sleeping with his stepmother (yes, the Bible has some racy stuff inside it). While Paul says that this was shameful, he was more shocked at how everybody in the church was minding their own business. Nobody talked to the guy about the way he was living his life, instead they just gossiped about it until the news traveled to Paul (over 500 kilometers away) at a time where there were no phones or Internet. Paul wrote to the church saying, "Shouldn't this break your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with?

The way we can best survive while living in a sin-sick culture is by being a part of a community that really cares for our well-being, where we can surround ourselves with people who look out for us and encourage us. The mark of a true friend is someone willing to confront someone you care about (in a loving way) and to do whatever you can to steer them in the right direction. That's why getting together as the church is so important. That's why a community of Christian teens is important. We need to surround ourselves with friends who ACTUALLY care about us physically and spiritually. Do we have friends like that? Are WE friends like that?

According to the Bible, friendship means minding EACH OTHERS' business. It means looking our for each other. It means having each others' back. What kind of person turns a blind eye to a "friend" who is in need or in trouble? What kind of person stays silent when their "friend" is making destructive choices?

DISCUSSION:

1. Take a look at these Bible verses with your teen and ask them what it means to them:

-Proverbs 27:10-  "Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s."

-Proverbs 27:17- "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble."

Proverbs 27:5, "Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend".

Galatians 6:1-2, Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

2. If you had a piece of spinach stuck in your teeth, would you want someone to tell you or stay silent? If you stunk REALLY bad, would you want your "friends" to tell you? What would a REAL friend do in that situation?  Would it be easy or hard? Would you appreciate their help? Remind your teen that, while it might sometimes be awkward, a REAL friend looks out for the people in their life.

3. Does your teen know someone in his/her life who is trouble or is making some really bad choices? Are they worried about a friend? Take the time to pray for that person and encourage your teen to have the guts to confront their friend about it (in a loving way). It might be tough and awkward, but real friends mind each other's business.

October 10, 2014: Leave No One Behind (Friend Request Series: Part 2)

Sigh. Don't you hate it when you complete an entire blog post and then your computer crashes right before you save it? Well, here goes round 2!

In nearly every war movie, there's a scene where the hero has to go back onto the battlefield to rescue a wounded friend. It's usually at this point in the movie where the injured man says, "Leave me behind, save yourself." (a truly terrible acting moment). As tempting as it might be, the hero never leaves his friend behind, but hoists him onto his shoulders and runs in slow motion as the jungle behind them erupts in explosions.

In Luke 5:27-29, we're told the story of Levi (Matthew) first meeting Jesus. Levi then threw a party and invited many of his old friends (other tax collectors and criminals) to meet his new friends (Jesus and the other disciples). Levi didn't leave his friends behind. He wanted to introduce them to the person who showed him love and kindness when everybody else hated him, and he did so by simply inviting them all to a party.

If we've made the choice to follow Jesus, we shouldn't forget about our friends, but we should do what we can to introduce them to this person who has offered us love, forgiveness and a brand new start. It can be as simple as inviting a friend along with us to a special event at CATALYST (like our upcoming Mystery Night event on October 24). Also, starting in January, we're going to be running the YOUTH ALPHA series for several months. We're still going to play wacky games and sports, have the band play and eat some great food, but instead of me (Pastor Ben) getting up and talking, we'll be showing a video on the big screen and have breaks for discussion around tables. The video series is high quality and relevant (see the trailer below) and it will touch on some really deep questions: What's the point of life? Why am I here? Who was Jesus and why does he matter? What's the big deal about the Bible? Why is there so much evil and hate in our world? In short, it's a great starting point to introduce our friends to Jesus (and we'll probably learn a lot in the process ourselves).

CHALLENGE:

1. DISCUSS: Ask your teen some questions: Why would you want to introduce a friend to Jesus? Why does it matter? What difference would it make? What's the point?

2. PRAY: Encourage your teen to think about a friend who hasn't met Jesus and pray for them once a day.

3.ASK: Encourage your teen to ask, invite and bring a friend to CATALYST. While inviting someone is cool, when you offer to bring them with you, it makes people a lot more comfortable. If they think their friends aren't ready for a typical CATALYST night, any time we have a special event (or when YOUTH ALPHA starts) please continue to encourage your teen to bring someone along with them.

October 3, 2014: One Big Friend Request (Friend Request Series: Part 1)

This week at CATALYST we talked about Facebook, this social media site that helps us connect with each other. Over 500 million people are on Facebook. It has given us a platform to broadcast the minutia of our lives at any given minute but it also has redefined "friendship". We can be friends with someone on Facebook without ever actually having any kind of personal relationship with that person. Sure, you might know what they're doing every 5 minutes, but we know an awful lot about celebrities too. That doesn't mean we're FRIENDS with those people.

In real life, a friend isn't just someone who you recognize or have some vague connection to, but a friend is someone who actually cares about you. A friend is someone you can rely on, someone you can trust and talk to about anything. A friend is someone who is looking out for you.

The Bible tells us that God has sent each of us a 'friend request'. Revelation 3:20 says,
"Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends".

It boggles my mind that the God who created life with a word, the "ultimate celebrity", wants to know me and have a relationship with me. He's knocking on the door, and all I have to do to have friendship with Jesus is to invite him in, to welcome him in as a friend.

Of course, you can't really be close to someone after a brief introduction, God wants us to let him in to our everyday lives. He wants us to talk to him (about the good and bad), He wants us to read his "wall posts" (the Bible). One of the reasons why we look into the Bible at CATALYST is we want to know God better. We want to hear from the Ultimate friend. We want to receive his wisdom and guidance.

DISCUSSION:

1. Ask your teen who their favorite celebrity is. What would your teen do if that "celebrity" called him/her up and wanted to hang out? Would your teen ignore that celebrity's calls or would they be so excited that they would be shaking with excitement, sharing the good news with anybody in earshot?

2. We often take God for granted. There is no "celebrity" greater or more important than him, yet how often do we ignore his pleas for friendship? How often do we ignore his calls? Take some time this week to think about how amazing God's offer of friendship to us really is!

September 26, 2014, BACK TO SCHOOL BLUES: PART 2

This week at CATALYST, I continued my theme of the 'BACK TO SCHOOL BLUES'. Last week we talked about stress and anxiety, this week I shared that some people hate school, not because of the insane amount of homework, but because they are mistreated by other people.

The simple truth is that we live in a broken, sin-sick world where the news constantly reports how human beings threaten, abuse and kill other human beings. The Bible encourages us, as people who've chosen to follow Jesus, to go against the flow, to be people who show love, respect and kindness to our friends, to our family members, and to those who are considered to be the "lowest of the low".

Mark 1:40-42 tells us:

"A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing", he said. "Be healed!" Instantly, the leprosy disappeared and the man was healed."

People with leprosy were considered to be the scum of the earth. This contagious, disfiguring disease meant that they would be kicked out of the city to live in leper colonies. They would never be able to associate with their family and friends. Lepers lived a horrible life filled with loneliness, rejection and mockery. The Bible however says that Jesus was FILLED WITH COMPASSION for the leper he encountered. He put himself in the leper's shoes. Jesus then did the unthinkable: HE TOUCHED THE MAN and the leper was healed.

When we encounter people who might be treated like "lepers", people who are mocked, ridiculed and bullied, we have a choice to make. We can make their lives worse, or we can make their lives better. Like Jesus, we can bring healing into the lives of others by showing them kindness and love. That doesn't mean we need to be best friends with "outcasts", but it's important that we, as followers of Jesus, would do what Jesus would do. Jesus showed kindness and brought healing to people who were lonely, forgotten, mistreated and hurting.

DISCUSSION/TIPS:

COMPASSION EXERCISE:
1. Ask your teen if there is someone in their school (maybe even in one of their classes) who is treated poorly. Take the time to think about what life might be like for that person. How would they feel knowing they had to go to school each morning being bullied or ridiculed?

2. If your teen can't think of anyone or doesn't want to discuss, look for opportunities this week where you notice people who are obviously in need (a homeless person, a person with developmental disabilities, a report on the news) and ask your teen what life might be like for that person. What challenges would they face? Do you think they have many friends? What would Jesus do for that person?

DO A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS:
3. Challenge your teen to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING to make somebody's day or week better. Challenge your teen to do a 'random act of kindness', preferably not for their best friend, but for someone who might live with a lot of ridicule or loneliness. What are some 'random acts of kindness' you could do? (It could be as simple as saying "hi" and using their name every day this week!)

Sept. 19, 2014: BACK TO SCHOOL BLUES Part 1

Teens have just headed back to school and have traded a summer of relative ease and relaxation for a school year full of reports, projects and deadlines. It can certainly be a stressful time, especially when exams are sometimes worth a whopping 30% of their final grade.

This week, I shared about some of my own experiences with stress and what the Bible says about our stress-filled lives:

"Don't be stressed out or worried about anything, but talk to God in every situation and ask him to help you. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with a peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel."

-Philippians 4:6-7

God wants us to talk to him about what stresses us out, and on top of that, he can actually give us a SUPERNATURAL peace in the midst of stomach-turning stress. That doesn't mean that all of our stressful situations will miraculously disappear, but it does mean that God will help us and be with us when we actually talk to him about what we're going through.

WEEKLY DISCUSSION IDEAS:

1. ASK: Is there anything that has you stressed out or worried this week?

While your teen might not be going through a huge crisis, I can guarantee that EVERYONE is worried about something. Perhaps they're worried about school, or perhaps they're worried about a friend? You can encourage your teen to share the specifics with you, but if they don't, there's no need to twist their arm.

2. Encourage your teen to talk to God about the tough stuff they're going through.

Prayer is simply "talking to God". It's not meant to be spooky and God doesn't want us to talk to him in Old English, he simply wants to hear from us just like you want to hear from a friend. Remind your teen of what that verse has to say.

3. Offer to pray with your teen, tell them that you'll pray for them during the week, and follow through!

Take the time to pray with your teen about what has them worried or stressed out. Ask God to give them peace and to help them through whatever situation they're facing.

Introduction

Hey Parents!

This blog is meant for you to know what topics we're touching on at CATALYST and to give you some tips or discussion ideas to help you talk to your teen about what they're learning each week. It's not homework, but it'll give you a sense for what's being taught from week to week and help you open up lines of communication between you and your teen.

This is a resource that you're free to use or ignore, but as a parent myself, I often want to know what my kids are learning so that I can help to discuss those concepts further or find ways to practically apply it. Hopefully, you'll find this to be of some use to you.

Thanks a bunch!

Pastor Ben