kung_fu_theater

(Find volunteer to give recap of first 2 FWs: God is always with me working for my good -- & -- Faith is a Person, Jesus Christ. )

Tonight's message is a little different. I took the questions you wrote down at our last FW shindig & I'll do my best to give you Biblical answers to them. (closer to God?kudos)

We gave you those because I wanted to be able to take some of this message home with you. I'd really like you to written down all the Scripture references (explain) and feel free to take notes beyond that

Alright --- we also have some special guests to read your questions --- And every question was written by one of you. So Marklet's see our first special guest

CARSON DALY "Is it unchristian to listen to groups like Eminem, Staind, Incubus and Ramstein?" Morgan, your thoughts?

Great question to start the night! First let me make a statement about music: There is no such thing as "Christian music." There can be Christian LYRICS, but if you look through the ENTIRE Bible, you will find no reference to a "style" or kind of music. The idea that a huge pipe organ is somehow more Holy than a Fender Stratocaster guitar is BUNK!---- It has no Biblical reference. Could you put the same worship or praise lyrics to a classical piano style of music and a speed metal or punk style of music? Sure. No style of music is "God's preferred musical taste."

You could have a Holy polka and someone else could have a Satanic Barber Shop Quartet --- the deciding factor is the lyrics.

So that means we're left with LYRICS. And I'd like to rephrase the question a little so we're all clear about what we're talking about.

The student wrote, "Is it unchristian" to listen to these groups. So first, what does "Christian" or "Christianity" mean? Last time we said faith is a PersonJesus Christ. So Christianity is a RELATIONSHIP we have with Christ. (take a note)

So if Christianity is a relationship let's ask the question this way: Does listening to the lyrics of groups like __________ (what groups do you listen to?) make you feel closer in your relationship with God or uncomfortable in your relationship with God?

Here's a scientific experiment for you: Go into a room by yourself, maybe say a prayer and ask God to be with you OR better yet just imagine He's in the room with you then pop in a song by Eminem and if you get through the song, ask yourself if you feel closer to God? Uncomfortable with God? Or no different?

My prediction is that if you are IN a relationship with Christ (not everybody is) If you're in a relationship with God, you will feel Uncomfortable listening to that song with the mental image that Jesus is in the room with you.

A lot of you asked questions similar to this, --- that asked if something is "bad" or "unChristian" or "is it OK if?" or "How far is too far?"

Please here me those are the wrong kinds of questions to ask. The more appropriate question, and one that YOU CAN answer is:

"Does this _________(person, music, situation, party) make me feel awkward with God?"(note) Bet you 100 bucks nearly everyone of us in nearly all situations can answer that question.

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy---think about such things."

And for the record, I didn't check out the lyrics to all the groups in the question, but I did do a search for lyrics on the web for Eminem. I went to a fan-based sightand simply clicked on the lyrics to the first song I found which was "Kill You."

That one song talked about snorting coke, raping women, killing, it referred to females with every kind of derogatory word for women available, and it was riddled with f-bombs and about every other bomb our minds can think of.

And it has the catchy chorus: "'B.' I'm a kill you 'cause Shady will "f-bomb" kill you."over & over. To describe the lyrical content in any more detail would be inappropriate and offensive to probably everyone here. I don't think I need to insult your intelligence by telling you how I feel about these kinds of lyrics do I?

I don't think anyone who has even a kindergarten understanding of Christianity could read the lyrics of that song and say that it's OK Biblically to listen to it based on Phil 4:8 And again, I think the most important question to ask yourself about any band's lyrics is

"If thoughts adverse to what you should be thinking are put into your head are you to blame? I don't want to think them and I try to get rid of them, but they keep coming e.g. sexual thoughts, judgmental thoughts or criticisms of the church."

For what it's worth, I bet everyone here can relate to this question or can at least admit they have thoughts that they're not proud of.

The question asks, "Are we to blame for bad thoughts?" We could debate if we are to "blame" or notI mean, Adam and Eve could be to blame there was no sin until they ate the forbidden fruit. But on the other hand if we listen to a steady diet of songs like "Kill You", I would say we are to blame.

Does it say we keep every thought out? No, it says we take every one captive. The truth of that verse says that we have a choice as to what we do with our thoughts.

Just for the record, what we think does matter. For a long time I believed that what I thought in my mind was MY business and nobody else knew what went on up here!

So, Biblically, it's very clear that God is taking into account what we're tossin' around in our 3 1/2 lbs of gray matter ---He "examines" our minds. Now there's a thought for you!

So, #1: We're responsible for our thoughts. And #2: When we have bad or funky thoughts, we have to "take them captive" and submit them to God.

Which means we need to expose our mind to God-stuff ---easy as 1-2-3: read the Bible listen to worship music pray.

We're like bloop: "Who does he think he is going to church?I see what he's really like during the week---he is so lame!"

What I most often do when I get the funky pop-upsand "yes" I get them too I most often say a silent prayer that goes something like this:

"Godwhat is up with me?! This isn't where I know I should be hangin' out right now ---Help me, God, to keep my thoughts off this garbage God forgive me and help me to keep my eyes on You."

Now if you find that you have a fairly steady stream of funky thoughts in the course of a day, then it's time for you to ask yourself what it is your feeding your mind.

One of the things I love is when science catches up with what the Bible said thousands of years ago. American psychologists tell us there's something called the "Law of Exposure." The Law of Exposure says our mind thinks about what we most expose it to.

If you watch a lot of MTV, guess what? You see a lot of cleavage a lot of tight low hangin' pants a lot of crotch grabbin' and a whole lot of booty-licious videos. So if you get to school and you have trouble secretly staring at the opposite sex, then make the connection --- you need to feed your mind less booty-licious MTV!

That's the Law of Exposure thinking about what you expose your mind to. The Law of Exposure applies to TV, music, friends, video games anything that you take in has an effect on what you think. That is a scientific fact.

"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit." NL

The cool thing about the Law of Exposure is it works in negative AND positive ways. So a steady diet of time with God reading His Word prayer worship or Christian music... exposing your mind to "higher things" or "Whatever is true nobleright pure lovely admirable excellent or praiseworthy" will transform our thoughts to become more like Christ's ---like Eph. 4:23 says, "To be made new in the attitude of your mind."

I'm Larry King and a student would like to know how in blazes you can get your friends to be better Christians without being annoying!?

I have a 2-word answer for you: LIVE IT.(note) Here's a quote that I TRY to live up to---it's kind of my personal mantra:

Whether we're trying to share Christ with friends that don't know Him, or if we're trying to encourage other believers to walk a better walk your words will always be cheap and your actions will always be priceless (repeat).

One of the things that used to repel me away from Christianity when I was in high school was Christians that were big on lip service and short on life-service.

Can I just shoot straight? If you can talk it but can't walk it I really don't give a flip what you have to say? No what? Your friends are in the same boat.

Now what's cool though is that after you've lived it for a time when you do get down to a conversation that you have out of love for that person they're all ears they want to know your "secret sauce?"

"You are the light of the world---like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

Notice in that verse it doesn't say, "TELL your friends you are a light. It doesn't say "Talk about your good deeds." It says LIVE IT. It says, "Always preach the Gospel...and if necessary use words."

Crikey! A student wants to know, "Is all of the Bible true? How do we know it's not just a bunch of bedtime stories? Do you have to read the Bible or is it a choice you have?

I love these kinds of questions because I myself am very skeptical by nature and I'm the kind of guy who needs a little proof---more than "Because He said so."

First, it's important to note that every branch of the human race around the globe has in its culture, an ancient flood story that destroys all mankind except for one family.

Secondly, we have recovered many tablets dating between the time of the flood 2400 BC & 2000 BC that clearly mention a great flood. One Sumerian tablet of 2000 BC gives a full account of a flood. And another Babylonian inscription says, "Then the flood overthrew the land."

There has also been hard evidence for the flood found in the first city is Ur. Ur is a city that the Bible tells us Abraham spent time in and scientists consider it one of the oldest and most excavated cities in the world.

Serious flood evidence was found in Ur (and other cites) archaeologists found a layer of clay that was 8 feet thick. What is amazing is that above this clay layer is evidence of human existence: skeletons, tools, homes etc. This 8 foot layer of clay had no trace of human existence in it; it was pure water-laid clay. And underneath the 8 feet of clean clay was evidence of man again.

Dr. Woolley said that 8 feet of sediment implied a very great depth and long period of water, that it could not have been put there by any ordinary overflow of the rivers, but only by some such vast inundation as the Biblical Flood --- and that it indicated a "sudden and terrific break in the continuity of history."//

During this time, the Hebrew slaves were being used by Pharaoh to build the Egyptian cities. In Exodus chapter 5, Moses makes Pharaoh mad and Pharaoh says,

"I will not give you any more straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find itSo the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw" (Ex 5:10-12)

The lower levels of brick were filled with good chopped straw; the middle layers of brick with less straw, that included stubble picked up by the root; and the upper level of bricks containing no straw whatsoever! What a clear confirmation of the details of the second book of the Bible, confirmed by science.

And lastly, Biblically: 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God breathed" No man alone wrote the Bible, but the Holy Spirit wrote it through man and made sure that what God wanted was what was written.

Good evening my fellow Firewire students. One of you good people asks, "Do I have to be baptized to be saved? If you were baptized when you were too young and weren't ready should you get baptized again?"

Baptism is not salvation --- it is your public display that you have entered into a personal saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

In the Bible we find that (in Acts 2:41, 8:12 & 10:47,) baptism follows an individual's decision to trust Christ for salvation.

Many times in the New Testament we see Jesus teach that He alone is the way to salvation with no mention of Baptism being part of "the way."

And for example, as Jesus hung on the cross with two criminals, one of them said to Jesus in Luke 23:42-43, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'"

We believe that the Bible requires us to be baptized as an expression of our salvation, but that baptism does not save us.

The second part of the question was, "If you were baptized when you were too young and weren't ready should you get baptized again?"

If you feel you were too young & you feel you weren't ready or didn't fully understand what you were doing I believe Biblically, you should be baptized again. All the Biblical accounts are of people who clearly knew what they were saying yes to.

In the Bible children were brought to Jesus He held them and prayed for them but He did not baptize them. There are no infant baptisms in the Bible.

If other churches believe in infant baptism because it conforms to their theology, Oakbrook respects their right. It's just not what this church and this ministry believes based on how we read the Bible.

I have good news and bad news. The good news is: if it's hard for you to be 100% devoted to Christ, you're probably pretty normal. Now, the bad news it has nothing to do with being a teenager!

Let me take a wild stab at it you come in here you listen to the message you participate in worship and when you're in here, your temperature for God probably runs pretty hot. BUT THEN (d-d-dd DUM!!)

You go home or maybe you don't get that far on the way home --and your mom, dad, sister or brother starts into the same stupid argument or issue and all of sudden the person who had a desire to get closer to God, now has a desire to kick little brother's butt! POOF desire to be 100% devoted to God, out the window!

OR It's Monday at school and now you're finding that loving other students who don't know God is a lot harder than it seemed when you were sitting here the night before having God's love for the lost is easy when it's praying for someone when you're here But to actually get close enough to at least be socially polite to someone who doesn't look, dress and act like people you hang with is another story. POOF desire to be 100% devoted, out the window!

OR Wednesday morning you're in your English class sitting just behind and to the left of the "hottie du jour" POOF desire to be 100% devoted, out the window!

Listen up. Life becomes easier to deal with when we throw away lies and pick up realities. The lie is: "Being devoted to Christ is hard because you're a teenager!"

But you say, "Morgan, you don't understand! --- I'm 16 years old, it's a scientific fact that my sex drive's turbo charged!"

Reality: The opposite sex will always be attractive and alluring whether you're in high school, college, or an adult working in an office, whether you're 16, 36 or all points in between.

Reality: People in your family will push your buttons and challenge you to live out what you believe about Christ. Right now it's parents and siblings. Later, it's your spouse and kids.

Don't buy the lie that "it's harder to be devoted to Christ as a teenager, therefore I'm just going to dabble in it for now ---after all, I have the rest of your life to get serious." (pause) We never know how long the rest of our life is.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Piercing is generally about fashion. What some people find fashionable, others find vulgar. As long as the piercing isn't keeping you from honoring God or destructive to your body, or you feel God's small voice is not telling you not to do itit's OK.

BUTBUT-BUT-BUT (before you tell mom that I said you could get your ear pierced) "Honor your mother and father." Deut. 5:16. If they say it's uncool, it's uncool --- end of story!

A lot of you asked questions about the book of Revelation and end times and that kind of stuff. So let me just make some statements that I feel are what we need to know about end times.

I notice a tendency in light of all the "Left Behind" craze for us to want to get caught up in trying to figure out all of the details of Revelation and to understand all of the symbolism.

From a big picture perspective, what we need to understand about Revelation is the promise that Christ is going to return and defeat evil once and for all God always wins.

In simplest terms, one of the first "big deals" in that end times process is called the rapture --- which means if we're in the salvation club, "we're gone""out" "adios" "later""seeya, wouldn't wanta be ya."

Nowlike clockwork in times when wicked stuff is going downlike our recent heinous attacks, we tend to want to predict when the end is coming.

Anybody here take history? Well during the black plague, I'm sure people thought it was the end times. During the inquisitionthe crusades WWI & WWII I'm sure people thought it was the end times.

"Remember, the Lord is coming soon." That's from Phil 4:5. Paul wrote that about 53-55 AD ---roughly 1,950 years ago.

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them away. That is how it shall be at the coming of the Son of Man."

Check those key phrases: "No one" "only the Father" "people knew nothing". Let's just understand that we aren't going to outsmart God and "crack his code" for when He's coming back. He knows whenwe don't---and we won't.

Personally I think that God made it so we wouldn't know so we wouldn't lose sight of what's important like worship .//

One of the most common questions you guys asked had to do with how to get closer to God, how to stay more connected with Him etc. So we'll spend Nov. and Dec. with a series called "Walk On" and conclude it with a kickin' FW Xmas party.