A KISS is Just a Kiss

I was inspired this morning to go in a new direction for the blog post today.

You see, I've not given adequate props and shout-outs to Jon Acuff and #STARTexp for the tremendous influence they are having on my life right now. Let me give you a little backstory.

I've always had a little man-crush on Jon Acuff. His style of writing and sense of humor just grab me. It's not a stalking kind of thing, mind you. I just aspire to be as successful and "free" as I imagine him to be! I'm sure that at some point we will become the best of friends, author a book together and hang out in the Green Room together eating fruit pastries and drinking chai tea lattes together. Ok, so maybe that sounds a little bit stalk-ish...

I picked up his most recent book called Start earlier this year and was captivated by its content. It described me to a T.  I have always struggled with my life dreams. I love writing. I do. I love telling stories, I love creating pictures on page that entertain, move and make people better. It doesn't matter if it's a screenplay, a dramatic sketch or simply a blog post, it thrills me to capture people's attention for a moment and move them toward a better life.

My problem is FEAR. I can't tell you how many times I've dreamed of doing something, then allowed that dream to be consumed by the tyranny of the urgent. I use the urgent as an excuse, though. It's not really the urgent that gets me; it's the FEAR of failure and letting people down that consumes me.

Jon's inspiration is moving me away from that FEAR and toward action.

I have to say, though, that the book is not really the thing that's moving me. Books are books. Words written to the masses can only inspire. The thing that's moving me to action is the "experiment" that Jon has created on the heels of the book.

I was invited to join about 2,000+ people from all walks of life to tackle a 24-day experiment where each day I receive in my inbox a very simple assignment from Jon to move me toward a goal that I set up.  Not only do we as a group get this task in our inboxes each morning, but we've been allowed to connect with others on the journey. Even though each one of us has different goals, it's been tremendous to see a community of like-minded people, each chasing a different goal, but finding community in the chase.

Unfortunately, I was an epic failure the first 24 days. Jon sent out his daily assignments. I read them. I laughed at them. They were too easy! All he wanted us to do was read something? All we have to do is write down a couple lines of stuff? Really?
Really.

I couldn't do it.
Really.

I froze up. I couldn't do the tasks. You know why? Because I only saw the big goal and didn't see the little steps that it takes to get there.  I didn't see that the simple, little things moving me toward a dream mean more to the dream than the dream itself.

So, I've been given another chance at another 24 days of the Experiment, and I'm tackling it with a renewed sense of purpose. I've recognized that little steps each day are the method of Starting that I need. But, I didn't discover this in a book; I discovered it in community. As I read and interacted with others on the journey, I'm motivated to move, albeit baby steps, toward the dream.

This brings be full circle toward the purpose of this Blog and today's post. You see, there are two things to remember when it comes to pursuing our dreams AND being great men of God:

1.  We need a community of guys that are on the journey with us to be godly dads and husbands
2.  We have to Keep It Simple, Stupid.

I need to surround myself with guys that want to be the best husbands and dads they can be. I need conversations with guys about the pursuit of our wives and the training of our children. I need to hear the funny, I need to hear the failures, and I need to hear the lessons learned from these guys to move me toward action.

I also need to see that each day I'm called to simple tasks that move me toward the dream of being a husband and father that glorifies God and blesses his family. It's an extra kiss on the head of my youngest as I say goodbye for the day. It's cleaning my hairs out of the sink after I shave. It's grabbing my kids for lunch even though it's inconvenient to drive back home from work to get them.

So, Jon Acuff, when we do wind up in the Green Room together sipping lattes, would you mind if we have hot chocolate in there as well? I'd like to bring my family along to share the moment. Now, that I think about it, bring your family as well. It'll be more fun!

Yes, Ke$ha, There is a Heaven

Confession: I like today's music.
There. I said it.

Now, before you go and string me up on the church awning, let me explain.

I've always enjoyed upbeat, make-you-wanna-dance music.

Today's music has moved from the reflective and angst-ridden music of Kurt Cobain and Alanis Morissette to the DJ booths and nightclub feel of Swedish House Mafia and Calvin Harris. I love it! House music just makes me feel good. I believe that music is therapeutic. I listen to music to create a mood or to inspire. Why on earth would i want to listen to music about pain? Everybody has pain and disappointment. Why do I want to be reminded of it through my headphones?

So, I tend to listen to the radio and secular music.

Now, being a christian dad trying to raise godly teenage daughters, this puts me in a unique and sometimes awkward position. Because, I do love today's musical style, the message of today's music is far from godly.

Today's music is riddled with profanity (which I still don't understand). It's all about the hook-up. It's degrading to women and no one seems to wanna grow up. Case in point:

Forever Young by Jay Z.
Young Forever by Nicki Minaj.
Live While We're Young by One Direction.
We Are Young by fun.
Young Forever by The Ready Set.
Young, Wild and Free by Snoop Dogg.
Here's to Never Growing Up by Avril Lavigne.
Die Young by Ke$ha.

Today's music seems to push out of the boundaries of maturity, responsibility and respect and celebrate the offensive, the immature and the me-ism attitude of life in the 21st century. Although the beat is good, the message is hard to listen to. Which brings me to my point.

I was driving down the road with my daughters the other day when a Ke$ha song came on. The name of the song was Blow and we were be-boppin' along as usual. Here's what we heard:


Backdoor cracked we don't need a keyWe get in for freeNo VIP sleazeDrink that Kool-Aid, follow my leadNow you're one of usYou're comin with me
It's time to kill the lights andShut the DJ downTonight we're takin overNo one's getting out
Now what (what?)We're takin controlWe get what we wantWe do what you don'tDirt and glitter cover the floorWe're pretty and sickWe're young and we're bored
It's time to lose your mind andLet the crazy outTonight we're takin names causeWe don't mess around

Not wanting to let the teachable moment get away from me, I asked the girls to talk a little about what Ke$ha was singing about. Groans ensued.

Me: So, what's she singing about?
Daughters: Ugh. Dad, can we just listen to the song?
Me: Nope. Indulge me.
Daughters: (heavy sighs)

We talked about Ke$ha's need to get away from her life. She wanted a place she could go with the people she loved and trusted and just let her hair down and party. Life can be pretty hard. Having that place to go and forget is a common theme of today's music. We just want a place to go, forget our pain and enjoy the moment with people we love.

Then, my oldest daughter revealed the truth of it all.

Daughters: Dad, it kinda sounds like what heaven is gonna be like.

Angels began to weep.
I had done it!
I had trained my daughters to not merely listen to music, but to see the message in it and how it relates to our spiritual lives!

At that moment, my daughters came to realize that what the world is looking for, CHRIST OFFERS TO US. Jesus knows that this is life is pain. It wasn't the plan God put in place, but it's the reality we live in.

We are all searching for that place to get away from our pain and disappointment. We all want a place where that stuff doesn't exist. We want to hang with our friends, experience the complete freedom of letting go and not having to worry about "life stuff".

God has a place like that for us. It's called Eternity. He's placed it in our hearts. Everyone of us. Even the Ke$has of the world. We don't want to grow up because Jesus himself said

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:3

May we continue to mature in Christ-likeness, but may we never grow up.

The Discipline of a Loving God and Father

I hate disciplining my children.

There. I said it.

Yeah, yeah, I know that discipline is a good thing; it's biblical after all. I know that it shapes us, and I'm thankful for the discipline that I received as a child. I know that the Bible talks about how no discipline is pleasant, but that particular passage is really talking about the recipient. You just gotta know that doling out the discipline is no cakewalk for the one doing the doling, either!

Recently, discipline had to be instigated in our home. When the words hit my mouth "You're grounded", my stomach sank a bit. The long face, the tears, the leaving the room with head low and door shut just made it that much worse. My first thought was "You were too harsh." Then, I began to think about the circumstances surrounding the infraction. We've recently moved to a new ministry, a new town and a new temporary dwelling. But, we've also moved to new schools, new friends and new surroundings. That's a lot for a kid to take in and deal with! "Way to go, Grant. You probably sent your child into a deeper despair and she'll be scarred for life, slipping into a life of drugs, alcohol and promiscuity."

A little extreme? Probably.

But, so go the musings of a father who loves his kids and wants the world for them...

Knowing that I had made the right decision in disciplining her, I just couldn't leave it like that. So, I entered the bedroom to discuss the situation. I shared with her my feelings about discipline ("I hate disciplining you."), I empathized with her ("I know it's a rough time for you right now."), I reminded her of the command to obey her parents and I loved on her as much as she would let me. I had to help her understand that as much as it hurt to discipline her, she needed to understand the importance of obeying her parents - a law that God established for us in order to provide for us and protect us. But, I also wanted her to know the pain I felt in her discipline and the heartbreak I felt in knowing that this was going to affect our fellowship together for a while.

Even this morning, on the way to school, I was concerned for her spirit. I wanted her to know that things between us are ok, even in the midst of the discipline. I found myself wanting to fudge a little on the discipline, but quickly reminded myself of the need to be a responsible father and follow through.

I share all this because in my feelings throughout this whole ordeal, I so desperately want God to treat me the same way in my own disciplining. I believe that all the thoughts that I experienced last night in this altercation are thoughts that God has for us. When God is strictly a judge, discipline is doled out, and we are left on our own with the consequences. We go to our room, separated from Him and sulk in our pain, wondering where things stand now. When God is strictly Love, we are left to continue in our sin and never experience any depth in our relationship with Him or mature in our spiritual walk. I wanted my daughter to experience all that I was feeling because I so desired my heavenly Father to treat me in the same way.

I need a God who will discipline me. I need Him to call me out and allow me to experience the pain of my consequences. But, I also need to feel the pain of His heart when discipline comes. I need Him to hold me, affirm me, empathize with me and treat me tenderly in the midst of the pain of discipline. I can't help but think that this feeling I feel as an earthly father is vindicative of our heavenly Father and His thoughts toward us.

When I know that my heavenly Father, who I can't really see or hear verbally, is speaking to me through my actions as an earthly father, I can rest in the peace of that thought.

May we, as earthly fathers, recognize the tremendously important role we play, and how our families are watching us in hopes that we model for them the empathetic God we serve...even when He has to discipline us and allow us to face the consequences of our disobedience.

Coveting and a Father's Blessing

I just had one of those moments with my child last night that I wish every parent could have...

I picked up my daughters from AWANA last night and they both were very excited to tell me about their accomplishments. Megan was getting close to completing her work and her teacher was there explaining the tremendous job she'd done all year and sharing with me the reward she was preparing for her and another girl for all the hard work they had done on their AWANA project.

Meredith also was excited to tell me that she had finished her book (a major accomplishment as well), but she was overshadowed by the conversation I was having with Megan and her teacher about Megan's accomplishment. We stopped by DQ on the way home to celebrate their work.

When we got home, (PJ's on and teeth brushed), we gathered in Megan's room for nightly prayer time. Again, the girls shared their accomplishments with Jennifer (who had been home sick all evening), talking "mostly" about Megan's reward (getting to go to the Mills Mall in St. Louis with her AWANA leader to shop and spend the day). We prayed, thanking God for the day and for the hard work the girls had done.

After kisses, I could see that Meredith was having a hard time with something, but when I asked her about it, she just said "I don't want to tell you, 'cause it's just bad". I assumed it was because Megan was getting something that she wasn't, and when I pressed her on it, I was correct - she thought that Megan got everything and she got nothing.

Now, before I go on, I need to fill you in on where God's been taking ME lately. You see, for the past few months, I have been meeting with several men from my church and others, working through the Men's Fraternity materials. It has been a learning experience for me, pointing me to areas of my life that I need to improve as a father and a husband.

One of the things that God has been dealing with me about has been my tendency to be passive as a dad. I know that I spend time with the girls and am actively involved in their lives, but I do have a tendency to put on Jennifer the "hard work" of raising girls - after all, she's a woman and can handle it better than me. But, Jennifer tends to wind up being the "heavy": making chore charts, making them do homework and practice the oboe, etc. I'm pretty hands off when it comes to holding them accountable for things they need to be doing. So, Jennifer comes off as being the "bad" parent and I come out being the "fun" parent...not a good thing...

So, back to our story...Meredith is having this pity party about not getting what her sister gets, and like a typical male, I start to point out her selfishness and covetous attitude. I explain to her, like any father would, that she has so much to be thankful for and doesn't need to wishing she had more. I also explain, in my analysis of the situation, that Megan is older and she naturally will get to do more than her. Satisfied with my response, I head downstairs to bed...to the sounds of sniffling and crying...

I arrive at my bedroom and continue to hear the crying. Now, I'm frustrated with her. So my next thought is "Jennifer, you need to go upstairs and console YOUR child! I'm done with her!" But, then I'm reminded of my passivity...dang it! So, I head upstairs, imagining what Jennifer would do with her. I lay down on the bed and immediately Meredith covers her head. She knows what's coming and she's afraid of what I'm going to say next. She knows that she's wrong in her feelings, and she just expects me to continue the conversation from before. But, I'm up here with a different agenda.

We begin to talk about her feelings; why she feels this way, and why things are the way they are (she reminds me of Abraham Lincoln's quote that "all men are created EQUAL" and that she's sure Abraham was talking about girls begin equal too - which almost makes me burst out laughing!!). But, all in all, we had a good talk. We talked about all the blessings in her life, all the things she has (and how so many people don't have nearly the things we have), we talk about the things she gets that Megan doesn't and that one of the best ways to help someone overcome the feelings of wanting something someone else has is to simply look around at all the things WE have and thank God for giving us those things. It was a special moment. I left, exhausted, but feeling like I had done and said the right thing.

Back to bed...

5 minutes later, I hear walking around above me. Grrrr....she's out of bed again...the stern father begins to resurface. Another 5 minutes...she comes barging into my bedroom, walked to my side of the bed, throws a Post-It note at me and quickly exits my bedroom, hoping to not get into trouble for being out of bed still. Jennifer looks at me with a "What's that all about?" look on her face. I turn on the light to read the Post-It note, and here is what it says (with no grammatical corrections made):

"I all ready have every thing I nead. Is you. (two smiley faces)"

Thank you, heavenly Father, for the blessings in MY life!

Creating Movements or Creating Disciples that Create Movements?

I ran across this post on a Y Gen website I found intriguing and very applicable to the Church today:

Is Giving Away Free Ford Fiestas Really A Movement?
Posted by anastasia
Brands using young ambassadors to help get the word out about a new product is not new. Student rep programs have been around for a while, and there are agencies that specialize in setting up these types of programs for brands. Over the weekend Ford Fiesta announced that it was going to create a "movement" around the launch of its new small car by giving 100 lucky millennials a free Fiesta in exchange for chronicling their driving adventures (and promoting Ford Fiesta) on "social media" sites. The company told MediaPost (reg. required) they have over 1,500 applications already.The article also mentioned that the key to making this effort work is finding the right young people -- you want young people who have extensive social networks and are comfortable with writing, tweeting, creating videos, taking photos, etc. But you want the content to be fun, compelling and offer something of value vs. Ford gave me a free car so I'm holding up my end of the deal and writing about it.What bugs me is Ford's use of the word "movement." Maybe it's the high school/college activist in me, but I find brands co-opting the word movement to be slightly distasteful, especially when there really is nothing pro-social about what they're selling - I mean I guess a Fiesta is better than an Explorer in terms of environmental impact, but it's still a new car. Pepsi tried to do this with its Obama-like marketing and "Yes we can" messaging. Yes we can, do what? Change the world one sugary Pepsi at a time? Giving 100 young people free cars to drive in order to promote your brand is not a movement either - it's a marketing campaign orchestrated by a huge brand. Maybe it will be effective. Maybe it won't.I don't doubt that young people have emotional relationships with certain brands, but it feels creepy to me for Ford to describe this as being a movement. Especially when movements tend to happen from the bottom up, i.e. they spring up organically in a grassroots way. If there were already a group of young, hard core Ford enthusiasts who were so excited about the Fiesta they began (on their own) organizing Fiesta launch parties, or making their own Fiesta ads or art - that might be more of a movement, no? If that doesn't exist at all, then will Ford's attempt to artificially stimulate it with free cars come across as "delivering authentic and genuine messages across a broad spectrum of media"? What do you think?For more coverage of youth marketing, check out the Ypulse Youth Marketing Channel sponsored by Youth Marketing Connection.


The part that I found applicable to the Church was the line that said “…it feels creepy to me for Ford (the big institution) to describe this as being a movement. Especially when movements tend to happen from the bottom up, i.e. they spring up organically in a grassroots way. If there were already a group of young, hard core Ford enthusiasts who were so excited about the Fiesta they began (on their own) organizing Fiesta launch parties, or making their own Fiesta ads or art – that might be more of a movement, no?”
As churches, and particularly as church leaders, we have a desire to start “movements” within the Church (the big institution): getting people to attend our events or participate in our life-changing courses on evangelism and discipleship. We hope that people, through our self-created programs, will be motivated to join our movement. But, the fact is, a movement DOES tend to happen from the bottom up and not from the “leaders” of the institution, which we are perceived as being. It begins when a group of individuals (a Bible Study class or men’s group or youth ministry or single mother of two kids) catch a vision for ministry and become the driving force behind it. As leaders, we should be spending less time developing movements, and instead, encouraging our people to fall in love with their Savior and being obedient to His calling on their lives. Only then can a movement truly happen that is organic and grassroots in its foundation. The institution can’t make that happen; individuals do.

I Love Jesus, but I Wanna be Like Gladys a Little Bit

I was engaging my Facebook addiction the other day when I stumbled across this video that someone had posted on their Facebook profile. Intrigued, both at the title of the video and the fact that it mentioned Jesus and Ellen Degeneres, curiosity got the better of me and I watched.

I cried!

I hurt with laughter.

It was the funniest thing that I'd seen in a long time.

It made me uncomfortable.

Let me explain.

You see, as a Jesus lover and a member of the the body of Christ, I have been raised on the Truths of scripture. I take my lead from God's Word. When it says "don't gossip", I take that to mean that I'm not suppose to gossip - it angers God. When it calls a lying tongue something that God hates, I'm pretty sure that He doesn't approve of us NOT telling the truth. Pretty cut and dried. Therefore, I don't question when God calls homosexuality an "abomination". I see no where in the Scriptures where God gives props to having a sexual relationship with someone who is not your spouse, not to mention having sexual relationships with people of the same gender as you.

Add to this the constant onslaught of the general media trying to convince me that homosexuality is right, good, acceptable and normal. Every show has a token "gay" person. "It's everywhere and normal" they say to us "so, get used to it." We had this same onslaught of "divorced" couples that hit us back in the 70's to convince us that divorce was the most logical options for couples who couldn't get along. By the eighties, they began working on men, particularly fathers. Whether it was Married with Children or Home Improvement or Everybody Loves Raymond, dads and/or husbands were total idiots, incapable of communicating with their wives, unable to properly raise children and generally imbeciles when it came to making decisions. Media loves to take our "sin" and normalize it. It may seem I'm digressing, but I'm simply making a point to make a point. Point number one is the fact that no matter what the world says, homosexuality is a sin that we are not to partake of.

Point number one is made.

Now, on to point number two...the video in question and the subsequent uncomfortableness I'm feeling.

In this video, Gladys, the wonderful "Jesus-loving" senior adult amuses us with her quick wit and simplistic lifestyle. She's quick to deter any phone solicitors, she's open and honest in her constructive criticism of misplaced plants, and lives within her circle of influence, never veering off too far from home. (although I hear that she did take Ellen up on her offer to visit the show.) In the midst of these endearing displays of humor and simplicity, I was caught off-guard by the sheer unconditional love of Gladys for Ellen. She was sincerely thankful for Ellen and the way she made people laugh-simply bringing joy to people's lives. She loved Ellen and was enboldened to tell her so. She was also more than happy to connect with Ellen anytime and looked forward to spending more time with her.

So, why am I uncomfortable? Simply because I can't get over the fact that Ellen is gay.

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. My own sin is my source of uncomfortableness.

My sin? Well, it's not gossip. I work hard at telling the truth. Divorce is not an option for me. I am the spiritual leader of my home and want to be a great and wise father to my daughters and a loving, helpful and protective husband of my wife. I believe the Bible is God's Word and I seek to live my life according to it's laws. So, here's the sin: I'm a conditional lover.

Gladys, in her Jesus-loving nature has been able to look beyond the glaring sin of Ellen Degeneres' life and simply love her; to honestly want to be friends with her. To watch her show, affirm her and even say to her "I love you" - no strings attached. Wow. I can't do that. All I see is a homosexual. I'm thinking about how disgusting homosexuality is when, in fact, God is staring me down in disgust at my lack of love for people, particularly sinners.

Gladys loves Ellen. The awesome thing about this is Ellen's response: She loves Gladys! She actually wants to be around Gladys and is willing to do whatever it takes to get Gladys on her show. I'm reminded then, at this point, of Acts 5:12-13:

"Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem."

You see, the lost world surrounding the early church was a bit freaked out by the Christ followers during this time. But, the attitude they had toward them was one of admiration. I can't help but think that this is what was rolling through the mind of Ellen. Could it be that Gladys' simple love for Ellen could be the catalyst for Ellen to discover God's love for her?

You might be thinking that I'm making too many assumptions here. But, since it's my blog, I can say what I want. My conviction was real. I don't love people like I should; I judge them, grow impatient with them and turn the other direction when they come near. That makes me a hypocrit, a Pharisee. That is the one thing that ticked Jesus off more than anything he encountered while on earth. Jesus had choice words for people like that and he would tell it to their face while the whole time sitting around a table with tax collectors, prostitutes and "sinners".

Gladys, thank you for the revelation. Thank you for loving Ellen and thank you for reminding me that I am called to love simply and to simply...love.

To Twilight or Not to Twilight

The book series and subsequent movie, Twilight, has women and teen girls across our nation in a tizzy. Already, camps are starting to form on whether this story should be enjoyed by those who call themselves "Christian". The storyline of vampires and sensual teen love have people packing their sleeping bags and canteens and heading for their chosen campsite. What's a girl to do?



Being a Student Pastor for almost 20 years, I have had to wade through these culture wars with students. From tattoos and piercings, Facebook and MySpace, to movies and music, from fads and fashions, I've had to answer to parents and students alike who are looking for the answers to the BIG question: "Is it OK to...(you fill in the blank)?

I answer a question with a question: "What did God tell you to do/not to do?" We are a culture of opinions, rather than running to God for our answers. Many kids are making decisions based on common thought, permissions from adults and friends or simply from NOT thinking at all-just doing. But, I challenge students to ask God what He thinks. He won't keep it a secret! He'll let you know. Tattoos and books are not sin, folks. Disobeying God is sin. If he says "don't read that book" then don't read it - for you it's sin; not because the book is sin, but because God told you not to.

Years ago I saw the movie "Silence of the Lambs". Don't recommend it, but I went to see it-entertaining, but it freaked me out a little. When the next one came out, I tried to go see it, but when I got there it was sold out. A little voice inside said "you don't need to see this movie", but I ignored it. I tried to see it again later and, once again, thwarted. I got the message. God was trying to tell ME not to see the movie. So, I confessed and headed back to my car. I didn't see it. Still haven't. This is my point. That little voice was not Hannibal Lector back from the grave; it was God and He had spoken.

So, here's the question once again: Is Twilight a sin? Answer: I don't know! What did God say to you about it? Don't depend on me for the answer, or your mom or your friends to tell you -ask God...then obey. Now, I fully believe that God gives us parents to help us discern those things we can't fully discern. Scripture is clear: "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right" (emphasis added). Mom said it and that's enough. You don't have to agree, but you do have to obey-it is right. By reading it anyway or secretly, you are not only disobeying your parents, but you're are sinning by disobeying your parents, and God is offended by that. The real issue is obeying God here.

I'd also add one other thought abouth this whole "corrupt" media influence. I'm now in my 40's. I grew up with ghosts, goblins, witches, demons, ouiji boards, adultery, pre-marital sex just like the current generation. Albeit, it is much more intense these days, but one thing I'm trying to do is to train my children to think and pray. Sheltering our children in this "holier than thou" mentality is only deepening the chasm between Christians and their influence on the world. I want my girls to be able to engage their non-christian friends in conversations, rather than look down their noses. I want my girls to be able to look media in the face and be able to see the Truth or lack of it within it's pages, notes and screens. My daughter read the Harry Potter series. She loved it. But, as she was reading, we had regular conversations about the content and how it relates to her spiritually. Even when we sit down and watch an intertaining episode of Hanna Montana, I engage them in conversations: "Was that really honoring to her parents when she said/did that?", "Did you see how she treated her friend there?", "What could she have said there to make it better or right with her teacher?" These conversations FORCE my girls to not simply veg out in front of the television, but to engage their minds to what they see and how it relates to God's word.

Learning to listen to God and learning to discern are two weapons that I feel that most people are not armed with in the culture wars. We as Christians should train ourselves to be godly and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. This simply means that we equip ourselves with those things that help us live like Christ in a world gone wrong. It also means that we spend more time listening to our Father than listening to the opinions of others.

"The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves." Romans 14:22