New Netflix Parental Control Settings!

Are you a Netflix subscriber? Up until recently, Netflix didn't offer any kind of parental control settings. This meant that if you wanted to ensure that your kids didn't access inappropriate content, you would have to go into the settings and block content for all users. For example, I could ensure that all content rated higher than PG would be blocked, but that meant that if I (as a parent) wanted to view something rated higher than PG I would have to go online and adjust the settings to allow it. After I was done my viewing, I would then have to adjust the settings online all over again. The problem with this, aside from the huge inconvenience, was that if I were to forget to change the settings, it meant that my kids could potentially access mature rated content at a click of a button. A few months ago, I spoke to a Netflix representative about this problem, and I'm pleased to let you know that they've actually done something about it!

If you use Netflix, just follow this link https://www.netflix.com/pin and enter your account password.

You will then get to choose a 4 digit parent control PIN code and select the level of content that you want restricted. For example, if you set your PIN to restrict any content rated above PG, when you click on any movie or TV program that is rated higher than PG, it will require you to enter your PIN before that content can be viewed.

Not only is this a necessary safeguard for parents with kids, but it is also a good accountability setting if you want to restrict your own personal viewing of mature rated content. In this case, you could just get your spouse or trusted friend to set up the PIN for you.

Thank you Netflix for incorporating these new parental control settings into your service! Parents please take advantage of this new feature!

Nov. 20, 2015- SCROOGED Part 2

This is Part 2 of my series, "SCROOGED". Last week, I talked about GENEROSITY. This week, we're going to see what the Bible says about being CONTENT.

Being "content" means that you're satisfied-- that you are happy with what you have. It means you're not looking out there for things that will make you happy- but you're looking at how #blessed you are.

Have you ever met someone who was content? Those kinds of people are quite rare. The reason for that is that every corporation that puts out every bit of advertisement you see online, in a magazine, in the mall, or on TV, tells you that you can't live without their product. In fact, do you know what corporations call you? They call you CONSUMERS! A consumer is a mindless machine that constantly consumes. It eats, and eats, and eats...wants more and more and more....and is never EVER satisfied. Kind of insulting isn't it? Sadly, most of us ARE consumers, we keep buying new things and upgrading from our old things and never seem to be content with what we have. We have become what corporations want us to be become-- big dumb animals that eat whatever is put in front of us as long as its marketed as the next cool thing that we can't live without.

Of course, all of those big corporations are just telling us lies. Who can blame them? They want to take our money! The richest people in the world definitely aren't the happiest. Lives of celebrities look pretty cool, but when you notice that their marriages and relationships barely ever last, and that they are overwhelmed with addiction problems, their lives don't look quite as exciting. Despite all of the wealth and material things that are available to us in North America, we're more screwed up than we've ever been. Are there less troubles than there were 100 years ago? Are people nicer?

King Solomon, the Donald Trump of the Bible (just as rich but even more wise) said, "Those who love money WILL NEVER HAVE ENOUGH. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness." (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

The richest guy on the planet coined the phrase, "money can't buy happiness"! While it's certainly not wrong to have stuff and enjoy material things, we need to understand that if we look at those things to fill us up with happiness and fulfillment, it's not going to happen.

"Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don't have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless--like chasing the wind." (Ecclesiastes 6:9)

Solomon is reminding us not to be consumers. He says that consumers are chasing the wind--that happiness will always slip through our fingers. So, how can we stop ourselves from being CONSUMERS? How can we prevent ourselves from becoming SCROOGED- only caring about our own wants and needs?

REALIZE THAT YOU ARE RICH, AND FIND CONTENTMENT

If you are reading this, you are among the richest 10% of the people living on this planet. When our perspective changes-- when we realize how much we have compared to most of the world, it helps put our "wants" in their place. There are times when I've been tempted to get bigger and better things-- to own my own home-- to spend more on myself, but when I realize that my 2 bedroom apartment is a PALACE to 90% of the people on this planet, when I recognize that all of my NEEDS are met, I start appreciating how blessed I really am. And when I start appreciating all of the things I have, I find that I don't care as much about the things that I don't have.

In Acts 2, it tells us that early church would actually sell their property and give things up for themselves to help others in need. They probably weren't starving themselves to help others. They probably weren't wearing tattered rags, but they also weren't caught up in chasing after bigger and better things. They were content with what they had, so they decided that, instead of spending more on themselves, they would actually do what Jesus wanted them to do-- to use their money to love others.

Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 that "True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth". When we love and follow God, when we're happy with what we have, than Paul says we are truly wealthy.

Staying content is a real battle. Everything around us tells us that we need more and won't be happy without it. There is a lot of pressure for us to be like everybody else, to have what others have. There is a lot of pressure for us to become consumers. FIGHT AGAINST IT. That doesn't mean throwing your Christmas wish list out the window, but it might mean thinking harder about whether or not you REALLY need the things that you want. Before you look at all of the things you don't have, recognize how rich you are-- recognize that you have everything you need! When you hear that little voice (SCROOGE) telling you that you can't live without what the corporations are selling you- start thinking about people who are less fortunate. Think about ways you could be generous with that money instead of getting the upgrade or the new gadget that will be obsolete in a year.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. While watching commercials during your favorite TV show or looking at ads in a magazine, make a list of what products are being advertised. What are the messages that those ads are trying to deliver? Think about how why they are spending money to advertise the product. What do they want from you? Think about how corporations NEVER want you to be happy with what you have.

2. Go on an expedition around your house. Find something that you once REALLY wanted-- maybe an old toy or some electronic device. Do you still love it? Are you happy with it, or have you moved on to wanting something else? Have a conversation about how we will never stop wanting bigger and better things. It's ok to enjoy and even want new things, but we need to recognize that we'll have something else on our wishlist tomorrow, and those desires for more will NEVER be satisfied. 

3. Think about ways that you and your family can fight the spirit of consumerism. Think about ways that you can deny yourselves so that you can help others. Maybe that means that instead of upgrading your phone, you could give the money that you would have spent to a charity? Maybe that means instead of eating out this week, to use that money that you would have spent to benefit others? Let Pastor Ben know what you decide to do!

Nov. 12, 2015, "SCROOGED" PART 1

This week at CATALYST, I started a two-week series called "SCROOGED". For a lot of people, the movie 'A Christmas Carol' is an annual tradition! The Muppets, and Mickey Mouse did their own versions, and there's plenty of others to choose from in both colour and black and white!

Of course, the movie is about a guy named Ebeneezer Scrooge, who loves and WORSHIPS money. Nothing is more important to him. He is fueled by greed. He is completely selfish. That is, until three ghosts drop by (conveniently) to show him his past, present, and future-- all glimpses of a man who cares for nothing but himself and his own wealth. These "glimpses" are an eye-opening experience for him. He comes to realize that if he continues on this path, his life will be ultimately meaningless. By the end of the movie, he has a big smile on his face as he freely gives away what was most precious to him. This man that we hate becomes someone we love when he becomes generous. This villain becomes a hero when he gives his money away!

When it comes to money and what you do with it, are you more of a hero or a villain? Have you been SCROOGED? This week, we're going to take a look at what the Bible has to say about generosity. To be generous, is the opposite of selfishness. A generous person is someone who shows care and kindness in a very tangible way--by giving money (and time) to be a help to others.

1. GENEROSITY IS HEROIC

Have you noticed how celebrities and athletes often make the news when they give money away or become spokespeople for charities? Our world considers people who are generous as HEROES- true role models! We see plenty of places in the Bible where this is true. In Luke 11, Jesus told us what it really means to love God and love others (the only rules we really need to live by). He told the story of a man who was beaten, robbed, and left for dead at the side of the road. Some people came across the man, and shockingly, did nothing to help. But then a man from Samaria came. He stopped. He bandaged the man's wounds. He gave him a ride to someplace where he could get medical attention, and then he paid the man's medical bills until he had fully recovered. This guy was GENEROUS! He was a HERO! Jesus said that this is what someone who loves others should look like.

Later on in Mark 12, Jesus singled out a poor widow as a hero. Plenty of people were dropping big bucks in the offering plate, but this woman gave two small coins (worth pennies)-- everything that she had to live on! To most people, this kind of generosity, this kind of selflessness (the opposite of selfishness) is completely insane, but Jesus thought that she was a role model!

2. GENEROSITY IS INSEPARABLE FROM CHRISTIANITY

The early church was known for radical giving, even selling their property and possessions to use the money to help people in need (Acts 2:44-45). Today, we're all about upsizing and upgrading, but these Christians were downsizing and making sacrifices so that they had more to give! That challenges me every time I read it! The church, throughout history has been known for its generosity. In fact, most of the relief organizations in existence today are either Christian or founded by Christians. Most people who have never even been inside a church before, believe that the church would be able to help them if they were in trouble or in need. Do you have that kind of reputation? Are you known for your generosity?

3. GENEROSITY KILLS GREED

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that money is a God. If we depend on it more than anything else, if we love it, if our lives revolve around getting more of it, than it has taken the place that God should have in our lives. How can we follow God and follow money at the same time? Jesus said that it's impossible. In 1 Timothy 6:10 Paul writes that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil". He's not saying that money itself is evil...but the problem is when we LOVE it. Most of the injustice and evil in our world today is because of people wanting more for themselves at the expense of others. If everyone on earth was selfless, we would be living in heaven.

So, how do we prevent ourselves from becoming SCROOGED? How can we fight the temptation to be selfish and greedy? We need to FORCE OURSELVES to be generous. There have been plenty of times in my life where I felt that I was getting too attached to money-- where I didn't want to give-- where I wanted to spend money on myself and my family and save as much as I can. In those times, I've had to force myself to give. Every time I'm generous, I'm killing the Scrooge inside of me. I'm putting him in his place.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

1. Have you ever found it really hard to give to a charity or to help someone in need? Have you ever found it hard to give regularly to the church? Have you ever wanted to stay at home on the couch instead of volunteering at church or for some other charity? Why do you think it's so hard to do something that's so good?

2. Can you think of an example of someone who is truly heroic because of their generosity? Can you think of any celebrities or athletes who are known for giving? Obviously you don't have millions of dollars, but do you have that kind of reputation?

3. Scrooge is known for making some radical changes to the way he lived his life. What is one practical step of generosity that you (or your family) could do, either once, or on a regular basis? What is one way that you could kill the Scrooge inside and show in a tangible way that you really do love others and not just yourself?

Pray together as a family and ask God to show you ways you can be more generous with your time or money.

Nov. 6, 2015: IMPORTANT PIECES

A few years ago, my nephew had asked for a LEGO set for his birthday, but my parents decided that a LEGO knock-off toy would be just as good. While the box they gave him looked kind of like LEGO, there were some noticeable differences. The knock-off minifigures were a sickly grey colour, as if they had caught some horrible disease while travelling in the box from overseas. But perhaps worst of all, the box was full of missing pieces! While the box had an instruction booklet showing all of the things you could build, it didn't contain the correct bricks so that he could build any of the vehicles! It was almost as if the machine just randomly dumped pieces in the box just to ensure it was the correct weight! It was painful to watch my brother try to coax his little boy to say 'thank you' for that gift. The air was thick with his disappointment.

That knock-off LEGO gift made me think of a weird Bible passage in 1 Corinthians 12:14-21. It talks about how our human bodies are made of all kinds of different parts that each have a unique purpose. All of those body parts work together in unison to carry out whatever tasks they are given by Mr. Brain. Well, Paul, in this passage uses this illustration of a human body, to describe the church community! He's saying that, all of us have a unique role to play. We all have unique skills, interests and gifts to offer in order to help the church fulfill its mission (to show and tell the Good News of God's love with others).

Are you actively involved in the church community? Are you a part of the "body of Christ"? Are you serving and volunteering in a way that suits your skills and interests? A lot of people think of the church as someplace we go maybe once or twice a week, but the Bible tells us that the church is something WE ARE! It's a community that we're supposed to be a part of! If you're not involved, than the church is missing some important pieces! My nephew just couldn't build what he wanted to without the correct pieces, and in the same way, the church just can't be as effective as it could be if everyone isn't plugged in, offering their skills and interests to God in a way that only each one of us can.

If you're actively involved, volunteering in some capacity in the church community, I want to say thank you! The simple truth is that without all of these "important pieces", we just couldn't do what we do each week, or wouldn't be able to do those things half as good.

If you're someone who just shows up on a Sunday, or just hangs out at Catalyst, I want to encourage you to think about ways that you can offer your skills and interests in a way that benefits the body (the church). Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that EVERYBODY has a role to play. EVERYBODY has something valuable to offer. Being a Christian isn't a solo game, it's multiplayer!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Is your teen volunteering/serving in their church community or at CATALYST? Take a few minutes to talk about all of the things they do and why their service is so valuable. Tell them that you're proud of them!
(Someone who helps in the nursery gives parents a break from their kids to enjoy the service and shows young families that we care about them! Without someone running the powerpoint slides or projection at church, singing songs of worship together would be just impossible, and a visitor would just be totally lost! Someone who is a part of a "welcome team" can make someone visiting a new place for the first time feel a lot more comfortable.)

2. If your teen (or even you) is not actively involved in the church community, write a list of the things that you really love to do. What are your unique skills? What are your interests? What are your talents? Ask God to help show you how you might use those skills/interests to serve Him as a part of the church! Talk to Pastor Ben (or one of your pastors if you go to a different church) about how you could use those skills and interests to help do what we do better either on Sundays or at CATALYST. Without you, our church, and our youth group, is missing some important pieces. Without you, we just can't be as awesome as we could be.
 

October 30th, 2015: The Mummy

 

This week, my talk was called "The Mummy",  a spooky, Halloween theme! We reviewed the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11 and 12. In it, Jesus was told that his friend, Lazarus, was sick and that he should travel to Bethany immediately to come to the rescue (kind of like a superhero). Jesus, however, does something strange in an emergency situation. He tells his disciples that its no big deal and that Lazarus wouldn't die, and THEN he waited two more days until Lazarus had died before he decided to travel to Bethany. When he got there, everybody seemed to blame Jesus for Lazarus' death. Lazarus' sisters and the people who were there mourning all believed that, if Jesus had only come earlier, Lazarus would never have died. While they believed that Jesus could have healed Lazarus, they all believed that there was no longer any hope. I mean, healing someone is one thing, but raising someone from the dead? That's impossible!

Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” John 11:33-34

1. A True Mummy Story

About a month ago, I shared about why I believe that we can trust that the Bible is true (even the weird supernatural stuff). I talked about how the disciples were thoroughly convinced that Jesus was who he said he was- so much so that they spent their entire lives telling others about Jesus. The disciples didn't make millions of dollars in a book or movie deal. The majority of them were hurt, mistreated, thrown in prison, and ultimately killed for believing that Jesus was God. Do you think if the story was made up, they would have allowed themselves to be tortured and killed? No way!

This story of The Mummy was an event that happened in history. There were plenty of eyewitnesses. In fact, it's what set into motion Jesus' death on the cross. So many people were believing in Jesus because of seeing what he did and hearing Lazarus' story that it threatened the government (people were calling Jesus the Messiah-- a godly king) and it offended the religious leaders (John 11:45, 12:9-11).

2. Spoiler Alert!

The whole reason why Jesus waited before responding in this emergency situation is that Jesus wanted to prove to people that he wasn't just a great teacher or even a miracle worker, but that he had power and authority over death itself! People had no problem believing that Jesus could have healed Lazarus (as amazing as that is), but they believed that Lazarus being raised from the dead was completely impossible. By raising Lazarus, Jesus showed people that he truly was the Son of God. This miracle was also a spoiler, because three days after Jesus was crucified on the cross, he again proved that he had power and authority over death by rising from the dead himself! And just like with Lazarus, there were hundreds of people who witnessed Jesus' resurrection. There were many people who walked, talked and shared a meal with Jesus after he had risen from the dead! In both of these cases, it was Jesus' power over death that convinced his followers (even sceptical ones like Thomas).

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think that Christianity would exist today if Jesus hadn't raised Lazarus from the dead or came back from the dead himself? Why do you (or don't you) think so?

2. What are some amazing things in the Bible that are hard for you to believe? Do you think that the Bible is true and trustworthy? Was there anything this week that helped remind you why the story of Jesus is the truth?

3. Jesus proved that he had the power and authority to raise people from the dead. Have you ever given up praying for things that seemed impossible? Don't give up! Take the time to pray for impossible things! If anything, this reminds us that nothing is impossible with God.

October 16, 2015- The Gift of Gab Part 2: "Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers?"

Last week, I talked about how God wants us to talk to him on a regular basis, that this great God of the universe wants a friendship with us! We learned that God doesn't care about fancy-schmancy formal prayers, he just wants to hear from US! We discovered that prayer isn't just for the "professionals", but that anyone can pray at any time!

This week, we tackled a pretty tough question- a question that all of us have probably asked a ton of times: "Why doesn't God answer my prayers?"

The Bible definitely tells us that God answers our prayer and will do what we ask.

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt...you can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea', and it will happen. YOU CAN PRAY FOR ANYTHING, AND IF YOU HAVE FAITH, YOU WILL RECEIVE IT." (Jesus in Matthew 21:21-22)

What? Jesus is basically saying here that prayer is like the FORCE in Star Wars- that we could lift mountains and toss them through prayer! He tell us that this is THE TRUTH- that if we pray for anything, believing it'll happen, IT WILL!

So, how come when I pray for REALLY good things- like for someone to be healed from a disease, or for the problems in my life to get a little easier-- teenie-tiny miracle requests, not big mountain-moving ones-- why don't those things happen? Is it because I don't believe enough? Is it because Jesus didn't really mean what he said?

GOD IS NOT A GENIE

Jesus clearly tells us that ANYTHING we pray about will HAPPEN, but does that mean that, if I'm hungry and pray for God to deliver a hot, cheesy pizza to my door, that he's REQUIRED to do it? Does it mean that God is my cosmic servant- that the God of the universe is at my beck and call? If I was able to pull his strings like a puppet, wouldn't that kind of power make ME God? Perhaps there are some ground rules to this whole prayer thing?

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we asked of him". (1 John 5:14-15)

We need to understand that while we can ask God for anything, he's not going to do what doesn't line up with his good plans and purposes for our lives. For example, I love my kids, and they know that they can ask me for ANYTHING, but I would be a pretty lousy dad if I just gave them whatever they wanted. Sometimes what they want isn't very healthy! Sometimes it's downright dangerous! When I say "no" to their requests, a lot of times they'll get REALLY angry. They'll scream. They'll stomp. They'll say that I must not love them. Obviously that's not the case. Not giving them exactly what they want is often the most loving thing I can do for them, they just aren't able to see or understand that.

I shared a few stories of when I was job hunting, and despite my prayers and believing that God had opened up those opportunities for me, when they didn't pan out, I was totally devastated. I was as angry as my kids when I've told them that they can't eat gummy bears for breakfast! But, do you know what? In hindsight, I've actually THANKED God for not answering those prayers! Even when I couldn't see it at the time, God knew what was the best for me, and he wasn't going to say yes to my prayers if it wasn't the right thing for me. Why? Because he loves me!

There are also times where I've prayed that God would heal someone suffering from a disease, or prayed that someone would come to know Jesus-- things that I would assume God would LOVE to answer, but still nothing. While it's super important that we pray those kinds of prayers, we also need to remember that our world is sin-sick and broken, and because of that, everybody is going to die at some point. God MIGHT heal someone miraculously, but someone else might die young, and we simply need to trust God in the midst of our failure to understand why. When we pray for someone to come to know Jesus, God MIGHT accomplish it right away, he MIGHT answer that prayer in 15 years, or we might never see that happen! After all, God isn't going to over-ride someone's choices and re-program them just because we prayed! In the end, it's their choice, and our prayers can't force them to do something they don't want to do.

I'm sure we would all love it if God would answer all of our wishes like a genie-- that an answer to prayer will come to anyone who "rubs the magic lamp", but that's not how prayer works. We need to never stop praying. We need to believe that God can do the impossible! But, we also need to trust him when we're not getting the answers we want.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Have you ever prayed about something and didn't get the answer that you wanted? What was it? How did it make you feel?

2. Have you ever given up praying for things because you just didn't think it worked?

3. Take the time this week to start praying again for impossible things- maybe some things that you gave up praying about a long time ago. Don't give up! Remind your teens to keep trusting God!

CATALYST YOUTH, "The Gift of Gab" Part One, Friday, October 2, 2015

This week is part one of "The Gift of Gab". I kicked off with a video clip from one of the most awkward and hilarious movie prayers ever. The concept of prayer...even thanking God for food...was just totally foreign to this guy. Is prayer awkward and uncomfortable for us? Do we think we need to master Shakespearean English before attempting a conversation with God? Let's clear up any confusion by answering a few questions...

1. WHY PRAY?
The Bible tells us that we were meant to have a friendship (or a father-child relationship) with God, but it's pretty hard to be close to anyone if we never talk to them. In Genesis, Adam and Eve walked and talked with God, in the Psalms people expressed a wide variety of emotions (from joy and worship to sadness and anger). The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 that God actually CARES about us and WANTS to hear from us! He wants us to lean and depend on Him. He wants us to express ourselves to Him.

2. WHO SHOULD PRAY?
As a pastor, a lot of people assume that I have a special direct-line to God-- that He hears me way better than he hears other people. While in the Old Testament, the priests acted as middle-men between God and people, we see in the New Testament that we ALL have instant access to God!

3. HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?
Our prayers don't need to be super formal and impressive. God doesn't only understand ye ol' English. In Matthew 5:6-7, Jesus taught people about prayer, saying that God doesn't care about elaborate "show-off" prayers. He doesn't want us to stretch our prayers out with lots of "filler". God just wants to hear FROM US. What does a parent love more, something hand-drawn by their child (even if the coloring is completely outside the lines) or a formal, type-written essay? God just wants our honest scribbles. There is also no prescribed way to pray. While some people kneel, fold their hands, and close their eyes, that's because it helps them focus on what they're doing, not because the position they pray in increases the satellite reception between them and God. If you can think, or if you can talk, you can pray.

4. WHEN & WHERE SHOULD WE PRAY?
1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply says, "Never stop praying". At first glance, this seems ridiculous and impossible, but Paul isn't suggesting that we should LITERALLY never stop praying, but that we have an open line of communication with God at all times-- and we can talk to him whenever we feel like it. Some people find it helpful to set aside a specific time every day to talk to God (and to be honest, this is probably your best chance of actually fitting him in to your life), but I tend to "stop, drop, and pray" whenever I hear about a need, or whenever I want to talk to God. In fact, I often use a lot of "down time", like when I'm driving in the car to take a few minutes to chat with God.

Next time, I'll be continuing the series by talking about why it seems like God doesn't often answer our prayers. Is it because he's too busy? Is it because he doesn't care THAT much?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Do you find it easy or hard to pray? Why?

2. This week I challenged the students to talk to God for at least 2 minutes every day. Encourage them to do that. Encourage them to express themselves to God, to ask him for help where it's needed, to pray for forgiveness when they've really messed up, or to pray for someone they know who's having a difficult time.