Tuesday 10 May 2016

CATALYST Youth Flashback- April 29th- HOT TOPICS Guest Speaker



On April 29th, we had one of our young adults, Yelena, tackle a question about knowing what God's plan is for your life and what to do when a potential job might ask you to do something that's contrary to your morals or beliefs. For those that missed it, here are the notes.




What are some ways that we can know what Gods will is for our lives? Some vocations are clearly wrong and some are clearly right. What do we do about the vocations in-between ( military, cop, doctor to preform abortions etc)

This is a two part question that we need to tackle. These are questions that many of us will be asking ourselves for most of our lives. Even when we have seemingly figured out what we are “meant” to do, there could be questions lingering - this is called doubt. What is important to remember, is that we may (and most likely won't ) have this answer the day we graduate from high school. Hey, we may not have this answer after we graduate from university. That’s okay.
 
 How do we know God’s will for our lives?

There are FOUR  things that we need to remember when it comes to figuring out what God’s will is for our lives.

1. The first and most important thing we are called to do is to serve God and spread his good news.

                        Take a look at:
   MATTHEW 28:19 - 20
   ROMANS 12: 1-2
   PROVERBS 16:3

At the core of our lives, the reason God created us to serve him. To spread his good news. This is important, because if we forget this, we are not doing what God called us to do - not acting out this will.

2. Look at what gifts God has already given you

   1 PETER 4:10

God will not call you do be an engineer if you can’t stand math. God would not call you to be an artist, if drawing a stickman is complicated for you. What are you naturally good at? This is a question that many may ask well into their careers, where they are just not happy. God doesn’t want you to be miserable, he wants us to be joy filled. If we are not happy people, we are not going to be able to spread the good news. It may be attractive to work in a field the may make you more money, or give you more “power”. The truth here, is that money, power, fame - its all temporary. It won’t last, and if your roots are there, it will be swept up quickly.

Take a look at what you're passionate about as well. It is no mistake that you love the things that you do. I am OBSESSED with figure skating - literally if I hear figure skating from across the room (and I will) I’ll be gone with the wind. Its not a mistake that i love this sport. I am supposed to do something with it. Take a look at the things you love, and maybe can’t explain why. There could be the seeds of God’s will for your life.

3. Look at the "through" moments in your life.

We have all gone through something. All of us. Never discount the hardships in our lives. There is a huge reason we go through the things that we do. God gives us these difficulties, to teach us. Our trials are catered to us. I like to think of it this way: would a lawyer go to medical school to become a lawyer? Absolutely not - it doesn't make sense. God is testing you because it has something to do with your calling. Maybe to teach you a trait - such as being humble, or teach you how to stand up for yourself in the face of a bully. The things that we go through (and learning/growing from them) can help us to become the people God wants us to be.

4. Last, but absolutely not least: Pray.
           
Constant communication with God is how we get our answers. Read the bible, speak to other Christians, seek out advice from mentors. We can do all of the above, but if we aren’t connected to God, we may not ever know what we are meant to do.

Remember, that everyone has a unique mission, and calling. I know at this age its easy to want to do something just because your best friend is doing it. But just because your friend is an engineer, does not mean you have to be. Know that in whatever Gods will is for your life, you answer to him.

                         COLOSSIANS 3:23

What do we do about vocations that are in-between?

Let's first remove the idea that there are vocations that are clearly good. This is not true. Any vocation can become wrongif you are doing it for the wrong reasons. You could be an incredible Pastor, but if you are doing it to be popular, it loses its “good”. The minute you forget about God and his call for us to spread his word, our vocations are no longer “good”

There are definitely vocations that can seem wrong on the surface; such as the examples given above.  We need to remember that God needs his people everywhere. That is why some people may be called to work in the military, be cops, politicians, and other tough vocations. This is not to say it will be easy, it will be tough, and you may be constantly asked to compromise your values. This is where you need to stand strong, and rooted in God. I put it this way, you are not forced to do anything; you have a choice. Remember this when you make decisions. If you feel that you have to compromise what you know to be true, in order to do everyday work, it is important to get out.

But also remember this, God will take care of you. He will protect you.
Jeremiah 29:11

Friday 6 May 2016

Catalyst Youth, May 6, 2016: RELATIONSHIP STATUS Part 1

If you're a Christian, have you ever had somebody think that you were totally crazy for taking your faith seriously? Following Jesus is very counter-cultural. It means being a rebel- living in a way that's opposite to how many others might choose to live. That's especially true of the Christian view of sex, dating, and relationships. In that respect, Christians are often considered to be old-fashioned and out-dated, and completely out of touch with reality. When a celebrity makes some statement about their waiting until they're married to have sex, it starts trending on twitter, it's highlighted on all of the gossip shows, it makes the covers of magazines, and it's considered to be one of the most odd-ball things to say and do. To say that you're a virgin today, or that you're trying to follow Jesus when it comes to your relationships, is like telling someone that you were abducted by aliens. You're going to see jaws hit the floor in disbelief. Now, what's so silly about that is...

1. OUR CULTURE'S VIEW OF SEX, DATING & RELATIONSHIPS IS BROKEN, YET ALMOST UNIVERSALLY EMBRACED.

Our culture's values (or lack thereof) when it comes to sex & dating hasn't really worked out for most people. We're not all emotionally happy and healthy people. In fact, more and more people are living with serious emotional baggage and regrets because they adopted their culture's values. People used to get relationship advice from people they knew and respected- people they considered to be wise- people who had been married for years and had managed to stay together and work at their relationship when others would have bailed.

Where do we get our relationship advice today? Are the people we listen to examples of "relationship success stories"?

For the most part, we learn about relationships from celebrity culture, movies, TV, music, and from people who don't have a lot of wisdom or a decent track record. Take a look at the most popular songs on iTunes. What are they saying? Chances are they're full of lyrics about the pursuit of pleasure and are quite misogynistic (especially rap/hip-hop), where women have no worth as human beings beyond satisfying a man's needs. Have you seen ads or billboards at the mall? What messages do the countless images of half-naked men and women posing seductively tell our kids? That it's ok for people to take photos of you without your clothes on? That you might even get payed for it? Our celebrities jump from relationship to relationship with marriages barely ever lasting. While their lifestyle looks glamorous (and believe me, they WANT you to believe that), the reality is that they're not happy. We constantly see stories of celebs who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, who commit suicide, who have their hearts broken over and over again, who have kids and go through painful divorces, who have the person they loved and trusted cheat on them.

Who are you looking to for relationship advice? Perhaps we should see what the Bible has to say?

2. WE HAVE FREEDOM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE THINGS WE CHOOSE TO DO ARE HEALTHY OR BENEFICIAL.

In 1 Corinthians 6:12-13, Paul is talking to a group of Christians who have been greatly influenced by their culture. Like ours today, they valued pleasure above everything else. "I am allowed to do anything." was their mantra. They believed that they were made to live life any way they wanted. Paul tells them that, yes, they had freedom to do anything, but that didn't mean that all of the things they did were wise, healthy or beneficial. Paul reminded them that they are spiritual beings-- and that they needed to live in a way that was spiritually healthy. He was basically telling them that their values weren't working for them-- that their pursuit of pleasure with no limits was hurting them emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and it needed to stop.

3. BEING A CHRISTIAN MEANS GIVING GOD THE RIGHT AND AUTHORITY TO TELL YOU HOW TO LIVE

In 1 Corinthians 6:13, Paul tells these Christians, "You can't say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies". He was telling them that their bodies were made to worship and honour God- that they needed to ask how God wanted them to live. Being a Christian means saying, "God, I'm giving you the authority to tell me what to do and how to live. I'm submitting myself to your wisdom". In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, "If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself (you must DENY yourself). You must take up your cross each day and follow me". In Mark 14:36, Jesus famously prayed, "Father, I want to do what you want, not what I want". What Jesus asks us to do isn't easy. It means constantly choosing to do what God wants us to do instead of what we might want to do.

Can you see how that's pretty radical? Can you see how that rebels against the values of our culture? Can you see how that would make your friends' jaws hit the floor in disbelief? It's saying, "God, I might want to watch this movie or listen to this album, or view something on the Internet, or take my relationship to the next level, but is it what YOU would want? Will it be polluting me? Will it make you proud of me? Will it draw me closer to you and what you want for my life, or will it pull me away from that?" It's saying, "Jesus, I accept your plan for my life as the best possible thing for me. If it's not what you want, then I don't want it".

If you believe that God is our CREATOR-- that he designed life, love, sex, relationships-- all of it---and that he wants what's best for us, then while it might be hard, isn't it wisest to submit to his authority? To do what he wants instead of what we might want? Doesn't it make sense that our relationships will be the happiest and healthiest when we follow his instructions?

The Christians in Corinth were right. We have the freedom to do whatever we want in life. God has given us this freedom. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a right or wrong way to live. Is it any wonder that our lives and relationships are so emotionally, physically and spiritually unhealthy-- damaged-- when we say that God's instructions for living are old-fashioned, unnecessary and not worth following?

The Bible describes "sin" as choosing to go our own way instead of God's way. The actual word "sin" means "to miss the mark, to miss the target". When we choose to ignore our loving Creator, and launch our lives in another direction, it means we'll find ourselves hurt, far from the God who loves us and far from his best intentions for our lives. The good news is that when we mess up, when we sin, God loves us so much that he offers us forgiveness and a brand new start. The bad news is that we'll still have to live with the consequences of our bad choices- and will have to deal with all of the emotional baggage that might result from them.

There are many voices telling us how we should live our lives. Some of them are wise, but many of them aren't wise at all. Doesn't it make sense that we should look to what God has to say when it comes to love and relationships? Even if his instructions don't always make sense to us at the time, we can trust that He is good and that He really does know and want what's best for us.

DISCUSSION

1. What are some things that influence how you/others think and feel about love/sex/dating/relationships? Where do you/they look for wisdom? Do you think those sources are truly wise? Why or why not?

2. When listening to music (read the lyrics!), watching TV or movies, or reading a magazine this week, write down what those voices are telling you about love/sex/dating/relationships. What do you like about how they portray these things? Does it seem healthy? Does it seem realistic? Why or why not?

3. If you want to, ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. Give him the permission to call the shots and tell you how to live and what to do. Ask him to forgive you for the times when you've gone your way instead of his way. Thank him for loving and forgiving you!