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Our bookstore only has one book in it since we just opened up less than a year ago. That book, is called, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” It reaches out to those who may be suffering from anxiety, fear, addictions, depression, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects. I am sure you can think of someone who could benefit from a book like this.
Just click on the “Bookstore,” tab at the top of this page to check it out.
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I have a chapter right from the book I have been talking about. See for yourself how it may help people. It is about the attitude of younger people today towards God. The title “Born-Again Pagan,” covers it all.
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Chapter 63
Born-Again Pagan
But the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
1 Peter 1:25—2:1
I saw this bumper sticker while sitting at a stop light. I stretched my neck for a closer look. Bumper stickers fascinate me and make me think about the person in the car. What a wonderful way to “advertise”—both good thoughts and bad thoughts.
At first I laughed, and then I thought about what is happening in the world. Many people—especially young people—today are heading in the wrong direction. They are getting caught up in New Age religions and cults. People search for thrills, and find them in sinful places. Other bumper sticks promote cults—and even Satan worship.
We read about mass killings at schools, children who kill their parents, date rape, racial beatings, gay bashing, and on and one goes the list.
It is the responsibility of parents and local churches to reach out to these people. Peers who have already found Jesus can also come alongside them. Laughing at their bumper stickers just reinforces their belief in their “religions.”
We need to seek out the young people who are getting sucked into these false religions and wrong ways of becoming “spiritually connected” to let them know the true high they can have by knowing Jesus. Often a church’s ability to relate to young people in this way is measured by the number of teens and young adults in it. My church has a tremendous youth outreach that grows every day. The young people of the church go out and invite their friends to come see what’s going on.
We can model for the young people in our churches how to reach out to others to give them hope and then send our youth out to do the same. Young people are more open to others their own age who can show them the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Once these young men and women find Jesus, their lives will have new meaning. Then they need to feed on the truth and steadily grow as Christians.
By this time you ought to be teachers, [but] you need someone to
teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again.
You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,
is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have
trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Therefore let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity.
Hebrews 5:12—6:1
Further Adventures
Have an open house at your church for young people to come by and “test the waters.” You don’t have to have people telling the kids to get down on their knees and confess their sins right there on the spot. Let it be a comfortable time—a time to get acquainted in a relaxed setting. You do not even have to have a formal service. It should be like a real open house. Just let them be in the church with other young people from the church. They will decide if they want to come back for more.
In fact, let the youth group organize the open house and determine the best approach to use. (It may not look like anything you would plan, but that’s OK.) Since they’ve “been there and done that,” they know what other young people—even those “on the streets”—are going through.
If the open house goes well, you’ll not only have newborn Christians, you’ll also have a growing church.
Something to Ponder
Isn’t it funny how some misguided sinners think that Satan is their master, but the God of peace will soon crush Satan under His feet?