This Kids in the Hall sketch is a good reminder to us all. Two guys going door-to-door sharing the Lord, but they’re so consumed by their own agenda, they’re unable to see the needs in front of them.

Sometimes we can let evangelism (sharing Christ with others) become either a scripted cardboard pitch or a steamroller shove-it-down-your-throat assault.  Either way these approaches become all about us. It becomes a missions for “us” to save “them.” The key element we forget about in evangelism is the purpose of evangelism. We’re not spreading religion. We’re not out to prove a point. We’re offering help and healing to those in need. Jesus wasn’t about a speech or a forced system or conformity. He offered hope, healing and change. If we don’t offer that, then we’re missing the point and might as well be selling Amway.

Jesus and Santa from Catholic Media House on Vimeo.

“I think He would be easy to be around and probably wouldn’t drop the F-bomb much.”

- a students response to what he thought it would be like to spend time with Jesus

Ahh, I just love the honesty of teens.

The SBC is losing members, you say? Well, Captain Obvious has apparently made his appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention. 

How do you fix it?

"Tuesday and Wednesday… thousands of messengers are expected in Louisville, there will be a face-off over their organizational future"

It seems battle lines are being drawn to decide the fate of the SBC.

Pastor Johnny Hunt has drawn up Article IX a plain for the "Great Commission Resurgence" to streamline and clarify the SBC. He’s calling for signatures to join this movement online. 

But on the other side the "executive chairman of the SBC executive committee, Rev. Morris Chapman, says he won’t sign. Instead he calls "revival and spiritual growth." [USATODAY]

Hey boys. You know, you’re both wrong – but I can fix this pretty easy. 

You listening (ha ha, I should know better, Southern Baptist don’t listen, they preach)?

For starters you’re Followers of Christ, not Southern Baptist. That means Jesus first, not the SBC. I know that seems simple, but it’s a pretty good starting place. This love of all things SBC can’t come before the love of Christ. 

Secondly, it’s not adopting a new set of values or mandates. It’s also not proclaiming our need for spiritual growth. Both seem good on paper, but to walk them out is a whole different story. Mandates are mere words. And to go tell people to "spiritually grow" does nothing. It’s a heart issue that’s gotten the SBC where it’s at. 

You, boys, are too far inside to see it clearly or objectively.

The SBC’s pursuit has long been to be "right" or "righteous" and kindness & grace don’t come into the equation. Can you actually be righteous without grace or humility? 

And lastly let me ask you this. Are you worried about the state of the SBC simply because your "numbers are down"? Or is it because you’ve feel that the Lord is moving you to change things? You remember God don’t you? He came before RIck Warren. And your allegiance should be to follow Him and not mandates, works, programs or denominations. 

Stop worshiping the denomination. If it lives or dies –  it doesn’t matter. Jesus is still Jesus. Nothing changes that. It all comes back to being a follower of Christ. But I think that was forgotten a while back…

[Note: I'm not just randomly picking on the ol' SBC. I do have a life long history with my boys. I'm a dirty Baptist after all]

“Jesus is my Interior Designer!”

-quote from a student during a discussion about how having Jesus in your life changes you.

“I imagine that the Church of 2050 will look considerably different from the one we have now: smaller, more culturally-marginalized, less politically powerful and, dare I say, more passionate and true to emulating the way of Jesus. I have no trouble foreseeing that we will abandon our big buildings and return to house churches, coffee shop churches, and meet-in-the-park churches.”

- Brian Kirk in the excellent post: “The Death of Evangelicalism? The Death of Youth Ministry?” from his blog Rethinking Youth Ministry

We take Jesus (or a painting of Jesus) on a road trip to visit places he’s never been. Enjoy…

Note: this is a joke