authentic

Anyone remember the life-changing phrase from last week? "God is always with me working for my good." (CD prize) (paraphrase of Romans 8:28)

BUT, they're going for SHOTS. AFTER the parent let Dr. give child shots, THEN when we ask the child if they love parent, there might be some confusion!

OK --- quick recap: When everything was fine in the 4 yr olds life, when everything was going smooth, they felt FINE about their relationship with their parentthey had "faith" that their parent loved them.

BUT, when CIRCUMSTANCES changed, and things weren't so groovy for the 4 yr. old, at that point they may DOUBT whether their parent loved them.

What was the ONLY difference between how the 4 yr. old felt about it's father? (CIRCUMSTANCES).

Right now, it's as if I can hear your minds asking: "Morgan, what does this have to do with me?" (get them to say it)

Now it's as if I can hear you say: "But Morgan, that's a lame, and like totally vague answer!"

Alright. (change tone) Here's the deal when I look at what's been going on in your lives lately I get a little overwhelmed. Many of you have had to work through getting over people leaving from this ministry. And this past month many of you have lost friends your own agepeople you knew well people some of you rode to school with you've lost them to auto accidents that have taken their lives(pause)

And if that's not enough you've been watching pictures like these this week (PPT)

In our little acting scene of a few minutes ago the part of the 4 yr. old represented us. Because almost all of us have a tendency to gauge our faith by the circumstances around us. (repeat)

When things around us get heavy like they have been we have a tendency to question our faith question if God is REALLY with us.

When does the little 4 yr. old question his father's love? Is it when he and his dad are watching the Best of Barney video in their living room?No. It's when he comes face to face with the Doctors needle The kid's CIRCUMSTANCES change & so his faith in his dad's love become shaky.

When we we're dating the person we want to and we see that we're going to make the honor roll and things are going pretty darn good with mom & dad we're more likely to believe God loves us, ---or that our faith is alright.

But, when difficult things happen in our lives like seem to be happening a lot lately We're more likely to question God's love or our faith

We may say things like,(PPT) "If God really loves me, He wouldn't let this horrible accident happen or that terrorist attack happen!"

Listen up These kinds of statements they are false. Regardless of bad accidents, terrorist attacks, or a Dr.'s shot in the "buttocks," God is with you.

They are false because of the definition of "faith"the same question we asked in the video.

As soon as you and I start to take the temperature of our faith based on what's going on around us, if we don't base it on the Person, Jesus Christ we will have an UNSTABLE faith. Let me show you what I mean.

Dig this suppose (girl) prays for God to help /her pass the Algebra test that's coming up in Mr. DuMass' math class. Now suppose that unfortunately she fails the test anyway.

BASED ON CIRCUMSTANCES (test results), (she) concludes that God can't really be trusted. Her foundation of faith starts to crumble based on how she reads the circumstances.

At this point if you're cynical, you're thinking, "Well what does He promise then?! if He's not always going to keep those kinds of things from happening, why do I need Him? " Great question.

"This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God ---one that really works! A new covenant (promise)Jesus' priesthood is permanent. He's there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through Him, always on the job to speak up for them (YOU)." The Message

I really dig simplicity, so let me bust this up for you ---This is what God DOES promise based on this verse: (ppt)

Christ is my permanent, guarantee that is always with me .(PPT) (add to prior slide.)

This is huge, and let me tell you why if "faith" is NOT a Person, if faith is like an internal switch that you flip -- then it's like:

"Flip" à (slower) This is getting hard to feel God because of what is happening

Do you see? If faith is not a Person, then faith rides on YOU and how you're feeling and the circumstances in your life --- if faith isn't a Person, then it's all up to you to JUST BE A FAITH FILLED PERSON!!

And do you know what? If you know how to JUST BE a faith filled person then I need you to come down after our time together, and counsel me and show me HOW you do it

Cause I'm old enough to be your (thinking)OLDER BROTHER And in all the things I have been through in my life a divorce trying to parent sons every other weekend losing good friends to bad situations and what's happened this week (to name just a few)

if I had to JUST BE a faith filled person, my faith would have been in a Hefty trash bag along side the road a long time ago.//

In the video, Chelsea was doing a GREAT job of trying to remember the definition of faith that she knew from Hebrews 11:1 which goes like this:

That's correct --- BUT -- it's "Old School" correct! This was the definition of faith UNTIL Christ hit the scene then it all changed! That why the verse from earlier said,

"This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God --- one that really works! A new (promise)." Heb 7:22 The Message

And this is why it's better I know what the number 1 thing is, that you want in life

When you're alone in your room at night and you're mulling over all the complicated stuff that's going on in your life

n how you feel about how you're fitting in or not fitting in with all the right people at school

n how you feel about the opposite sex and how you think the opposite sex feels about you

n how you feel about your uncertain future that seems to be getting closer & perhaps scarier all the time..

And what else --- what else are you concerned about?--Put it in your mind right now

Whether your emotional & relational world feels like it's as simple as a beginner level game of video pong or your emotions & relationships feel as complex as a spider web YOU WANT SOMEONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH

You want someone who with very little words or no words understands what it is to be YOU.to be living YOUR life to understand what it is to get up every morning and live what you are living

You want some to understand what you're experiencing, because everything that's going on in your life IS important. And when you feel that no one completely understands what you are experiencing & feeling (repeat), then you feel unimportant and perhaps unloved (big pause)

But dig this faith is a Person a person who really UNDERSTANDS, because He walked on the earth and experienced what it was to feel pain and feel emotions and be in relationships

Think about this for a minute Jesus was a teenager! (Joke about cut hair to drive?)

Faith is a Person who cannot lie. And Faith is a person who has made promises to you & me Jesus, who cannot lie, has made promises to you & me

Faith is a Person who when you are in your room staring at the ceiling in a pool of questions and emotions is there too.

When who knows what, will unfold in our lives in the next days, weeks and months He will be thereand He'll understand where you're at and what you need.

In ALL THINGS that are happening and will happen, we have the promise that Christ is WITH US, working for our good.

He doesn't promise what will or will not happen in your life BUT He promises that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS (repeat), He will always be with you because faith is a Person.//

Before I wrap up my time here, I want to touch really quick on the girl in the drama. I believe with all my heart that many of you have had very similar struggles, of "am I saved or not?"

If you've ever questioned that, let me just remind you of the truth of Hebrews 7:22-25(ppt)

So if you've prayed a prayer of salvation you asked God for forgiveness of your sins through Jesus Christ's death on the cross, and you asked God to be the leader of your life, and you were sincere when you prayed it then IT IS DONE Don't question it again.

Because when I look at words like, "guarantee", "permanent" & "forever" even a guy like me can understand how rock solid that is.

Listen up ---this is what I want you to walk out with >> if your faith feels shaky or you begin to question your salvation or you're unsure of what's going on in circumstances around you

Remember that faith is a person so you have just 1 question to ask yourself . "Where am I putting Jesus Christ in my life?" (repeat)

I'd to wrap this with a song that we heard at Big Stuf this summer and this song has pretty much been the song of my heart ever since and I believe it needs to be the song of your heart the song of this ministry of this church of this country

If you want sit and let this be your prayer to God, then pray silently while you listen If you want to sing these words to God and ask Him to move in you, then worship.

(Pray out) That through what you learn about God that you would have a faith in you that can stand the test of the things you've experienced in the few recent months and especially the last few days and that your faith will get you through whatever comes at you down the road.



	< back

		Authentic Faith (Firewire youth ministry) -Morgan Young 9.16.01 Anyone remember the life-changing phrase from last week? "God is always with me working for my good." (CD prize) (paraphrase of Romans 8:28) (handheld wireless mic) Tonight I'd like to start out our time by looking for an actor(impromptu) Need someone to play a father (use Ronda's dummy) Parent holding child as go to Doctor If we asked 4 yr old if parent loves them, they'd say "Yes." BUT, they're going for SHOTS. AFTER the parent let Dr. give child shots, THEN when we ask the child if they love parent, there might be some confusion! OK --- quick recap: When everything was fine in the 4 yr olds life, when everything was going smooth, they felt FINE about their relationship with their parentthey had "faith" that their parent loved them. BUT, when CIRCUMSTANCES changed, and things weren't so groovy for the 4 yr. old, at that point they may DOUBT whether their parent loved them. What was the ONLY difference between how the 4 yr. old felt about it's father? (CIRCUMSTANCES). Right now, it's as if I can hear your minds asking: "Morgan, what does this have to do with me?" (get them to say it) I'm glad you asked. The answer is: EVERYTHING. Now it's as if I can hear you say: "But Morgan, that's a lame, and like totally vague answer!" Alright. (change tone) Here's the deal when I look at what's been going on in your lives lately I get a little overwhelmed. Many of you have had to work through getting over people leaving from this ministry. And this past month many of you have lost friends your own agepeople you knew well people some of you rode to school with you've lost them to auto accidents that have taken their lives(pause) And if that's not enough you've been watching pictures like these this week (PPT) In our little acting scene of a few minutes ago the part of the 4 yr. old represented us. Because almost all of us have a tendency to gauge our faith by the circumstances around us. (repeat) When things around us get heavy like they have been we have a tendency to question our faith question if God is REALLY with us. When does the little 4 yr. old question his father's love? Is it when he and his dad are watching the Best of Barney video in their living room?No. It's when he comes face to face with the Doctors needle The kid's CIRCUMSTANCES change & so his faith in his dad's love become shaky. When we we're dating the person we want to and we see that we're going to make the honor roll and things are going pretty darn good with mom & dad we're more likely to believe God loves us, ---or that our faith is alright. But, when difficult things happen in our lives like seem to be happening a lot lately We're more likely to question God's love or our faith We may say things like,(PPT) "If God really loves me, He wouldn't let this horrible accident happen or that terrorist attack happen!" Listen up These kinds of statements they are false. Regardless of bad accidents, terrorist attacks, or a Dr.'s shot in the "buttocks," God is with you. And now it's as if I can hear you say, "Morgan, why are they false?" They are false because of the definition of "faith"the same question we asked in the video. Here's tonight's big deal, here's the definition of "faith": (PPT) Faith is a Person, (Jesus Christ) not a circumstance. As soon as you and I start to take the temperature of our faith based on what's going on around us, if we don't base it on the Person, Jesus Christ we will have an UNSTABLE faith. Let me show you what I mean. Dig this suppose (girl) prays for God to help /her pass the Algebra test that's coming up in Mr. DuMass' math class. Now suppose that unfortunately she fails the test anyway. BASED ON CIRCUMSTANCES (test results), (she) concludes that God can't really be trusted. Her foundation of faith starts to crumble based on how she reads the circumstances. Now, can God help you pass your Algebra test in Mr. DuMass' class?? YES. Can God stop planes from crashing??YES. Can God keep us safe from harm?? YES. BUTin His Word, does He PROMISE He will do those things?? Does He promise to help you pass the test? Does He promise to stop planes from crashing? Does He promise to always keep us from harm? The answer is NO. He MIGHT and CAN do all of those thingsbut he doesn't PROMISE He will. At this point if you're cynical, you're thinking, "Well what does He promise then?! if He's not always going to keep those kinds of things from happening, why do I need Him? " Great question. The book of Hebrews is all about faith in Christ. Here's a verse from 7:22-25: (PPT) "This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God ---one that really works! A new covenant (promise)Jesus' priesthood is permanent. He's there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through Him, always on the job to speak up for them (YOU)." The Message I really dig simplicity, so let me bust this up for you ---This is what God DOES promise based on this verse: (ppt) 1. Jesus is your guaranteed way to God 2. He works for you permanently 3. He's there forever to save everyone 4. He's always on the job for you So when we say that faith is a Person (Jesus Christ) we're saying that Christ is my permanent, guarantee that is always with me .(PPT) (add to prior slide.) This is huge, and let me tell you why if "faith" is NOT a Person, if faith is like an internal switch that you flip -- then it's like: "Flip"à I'm gonna believe with all my heart "Flip" à (little slower)I just gotta believe more than I do! "Flip" à (slower) This is getting hard to feel God because of what is happening Do you see? If faith is not a Person, then faith rides on YOU and how you're feeling and the circumstances in your life --- if faith isn't a Person, then it's all up to you to JUST BE A FAITH FILLED PERSON!! And do you know what? If you know how to JUST BE a faith filled person then I need you to come down after our time together, and counsel me and show me HOW you do it Cause I'm old enough to be your (thinking)OLDER BROTHER And in all the things I have been through in my life a divorce trying to parent sons every other weekend losing good friends to bad situations and what's happened this week (to name just a few) if I had to JUST BE a faith filled person, my faith would have been in a Hefty trash bag along side the road a long time ago.// In the video, Chelsea was doing a GREAT job of trying to remember the definition of faith that she knew from Hebrews 11:1 which goes like this: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." That's correct --- BUT -- it's "Old School" correct! This was the definition of faith UNTIL Christ hit the scene then it all changed! That why the verse from earlier said, "This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God --- one that really works! A new (promise)." Heb 7:22 The Message This verse is telling us that "Faith is a Person" is a better way. And this is why it's better I know what the number 1 thing is, that you want in life When you're alone in your room at night and you're mulling over all the complicated stuff that's going on in your life Stuff like: n how you feel about how you're fitting in or not fitting in with all the right people at school n how you feel about the opposite sex and how you think the opposite sex feels about you n how you feel about the loss of a friend n how you feel about your uncertain future that seems to be getting closer & perhaps scarier all the time.. And what else --- what else are you concerned about?--Put it in your mind right now Whether your emotional & relational world feels like it's as simple as a beginner level game of video pong or your emotions & relationships feel as complex as a spider web YOU WANT SOMEONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH You want someone who with very little words or no words understands what it is to be YOU.to be living YOUR life to understand what it is to get up every morning and live what you are living You want some to understand what you're experiencing, because everything that's going on in your life IS important. And when you feel that no one completely understands what you are experiencing & feeling (repeat), then you feel unimportant and perhaps unloved (big pause) But dig this faith is a Person a person who really UNDERSTANDS, because He walked on the earth and experienced what it was to feel pain and feel emotions and be in relationships Think about this for a minute Jesus was a teenager! (Joke about cut hair to drive?) Faith is a Person who cannot lie. And Faith is a person who has made promises to you & me Jesus, who cannot lie, has made promises to you & me Jesus is your guaranteed way to God He works for you permanently He's there forever to save everyone (and the big one) >>> He's always on the job for you Faith is a Person who when you are in your room staring at the ceiling in a pool of questions and emotions is there too. When you find out about the loss of a friend He is there & understands. When we found out what happened Tuesday He is there & understands. When who knows what, will unfold in our lives in the next days, weeks and months He will be thereand He'll understand where you're at and what you need. In ALL THINGS that are happening and will happen, we have the promise that Christ is WITH US, working for our good. He doesn't promise what will or will not happen in your life BUT He promises that NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS (repeat), He will always be with you because faith is a Person.// Before I wrap up my time here, I want to touch really quick on the girl in the drama. I believe with all my heart that many of you have had very similar struggles, of "am I saved or not?" If you've ever questioned that, let me just remind you of the truth of Hebrews 7:22-25(ppt) Jesus is your guaranteed way to God He works for you permanently He's there forever to save everyone He's always on the job for you So if you've prayed a prayer of salvation you asked God for forgiveness of your sins through Jesus Christ's death on the cross, and you asked God to be the leader of your life, and you were sincere when you prayed it then IT IS DONE Don't question it again. Because when I look at words like, "guarantee", "permanent" & "forever" even a guy like me can understand how rock solid that is. Listen up ---this is what I want you to walk out with >> if your faith feels shaky or you begin to question your salvation or you're unsure of what's going on in circumstances around you Remember that faith is a person so you have just 1 question to ask yourself . "Where am I putting Jesus Christ in my life?" (repeat) I'd to wrap this with a song that we heard at Big Stuf this summer and this song has pretty much been the song of my heart ever since and I believe it needs to be the song of your heart the song of this ministry of this church of this country If you want sit and let this be your prayer to God, then pray silently while you listen If you want to sing these words to God and ask Him to move in you, then worship. (Be the Center from Carry On Forever CDtrac 8) (Pray out) That through what you learn about God that you would have a faith in you that can stand the test of the things you've experienced in the few recent months and especially the last few days and that your faith will get you through whatever comes at you down the road. Remind: 1. See You at the PoleWed. 2. Next FW Oct 7th 3. Salvation Sunday last Oct FW 21st 4. I'll be around if you need me next couple o'weeks Dismiss to Discussion Groups < back top o'page home page