The Talk
December 11, 2019 • Taylor Eising • Matthew 19:4–6, Ephesians 5:25–33, Hebrews 13:4–5, Genesis 1:31
Christians are notoriously bad at talking about sex. We gloss over it, give incomplete information, and usually end the conversation with, “Sex is bad. Don’t do it.” So, on behalf of Christians everywhere, I want to apologize. Sometimes we struggle with awkward subjects. We make the mistake of believing that sex has nothing to do with the gospel. But God’s Word says otherwise. . The Bible is overwhelmingly clear: creation is good, and that means sex is good when it is used as it was created, in its God-given context of marriage (Genesis 1:27, 31; 2:23-25). God created us male and female, and He did that on purpose. Males in their male-ness and females in their female-ness—brought together in the one-man-one-woman-one-lifetime covenant of marriage before God— reflect His image in a unique way that, according to Scripture, points to God’s relationship with us, His church. . You see, sex is a reminder of a covenant that has already been made. It physically acts out the fact that, in marriage, spouses have given their whole selves over to that other person, just like Jesus has given His whole Self over to us. Sex is an act of loving completely, faithfully, and freely, mirroring the way Jesus loves us completely, faithfully, and freely. Sex says, “I give everything I am to you. I will never leave or abandon you. I have made a covenant with you, and I will never break that covenant.” Has Jesus ever said things like that? . Here’s the hard part for you, as people who, I assume, are not yet married: we cannot act out a covenant that we have not made (and that covenant must be made publicly, before God and the church). If we do, we are lying with our bodies. Sex is a good gift from God, and when we misuse this good gift, it is a sin just like any other sin. But, my friends, there is abounding grace in Jesus. Rest in the One who loves you more than anyone, including a future spouse (if that’s what He has planned for you), ever could. • Taylor Eising . • How does the fact that we bear God’s image affect sexuality (lust, pornography, etc.)? . • Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can talk to about questions you have about sex? . God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day. Genesis 1:31 (CSB)
In Defense of Video Games
December 5, 2019 • Taylor Eising • Genesis 1:26–31, Psalm 24:1, 1 Corinthians 10:31
I grew up around gamers. I remember spending hours of my childhood curled up on the couch watching my older brothers, Tony and AJ, play "Legend of Zelda." I admired their skill and problem-solving abilities, and I often wished I could play as well as they did. . Being created in God’s image gives us several good desires that can be used for God-glorifying purposes, and two of those desires are the desire to create and the desire to solve problems. As strange as it may sound, we can use video games to hone and train those good desires. . We are created to create because we are created in the Creator’s image (say that five times fast). This gift allows us to make incredible works of art using all kinds of different mediums. Since the beginning of time, we have been painting, sculpting, writing, singing, and directing plays. And now that artistic expression can be found in developing video games. Playing certain video games taps into our God-given creativity and helps us explore it more fully. . Video games also help us problem-solve, often with other people. Many games present the player with some difficult situation that they must resolve using strategic planning skills. These strategic planning skills—including resource management, cooperation, and persistence—are vital to the kingdom of God. In fact, God is glorified anytime we use those skills, so long as we aren’t using them for something sinful. . This is great news! Even though our world is broken by sin, Christ died so that, in Him, we could be free to serve and glorify Him in our daily endeavors. As the Creator, God loves beautiful art, and He loves a problem well-solved. He is overjoyed when we use the skills He has given to us. . So, as Christians, we have to think carefully about any art form we create or consume, including video games. Follow the rules in your household about video games and thank God for the skills and abilities He has given you. • Taylor Eising . • Who are some people in your life you can talk to about which video games are helpful, and which are not? . • What are some ways you can apply the skills you use in video games to real life? . So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
Does God Care about My Body?
December 3, 2019 • Alissa Griffin • Genesis 1:26–27, Genesis 3:7–10, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20
"I’m fat." "My skin is broken out." "My nose is too big." "I’m ugly." . Thoughts like these have haunted me most of my life, particularly during my teenage years. I often wondered what was wrong with me. "Why couldn’t I look different?" Sometimes just looking in a mirror made me want to cry. . My weight bothered me most, so I tried anything to reduce it. I refused my body nourishment, exercised too much, adopted specific and irrational eating rituals, and spiraled into binge-eating. All of this was an attempt to quiet the sadness inside. I thought if I could control my weight tightly enough, I would be happy. . What I couldn’t see back then was that I was believing a lie. I hated my body for how it looked and thought it was worthless. I didn’t think God cared or had anything to say about it. It took me many years and much wise Christian counsel to realize that nothing could be further from the truth. . God created all of us in His image, the crown jewels of His originally good creation. It was only after humanity’s fall into sin that we began misusing our bodies and considering them shameful. But even in our broken state, Jesus came to die on our behalf and make us right with God again, no matter what we look like (Romans 5:6-8). . Now, God doesn’t make His home in a physical building anymore: He lives in us. That’s right, He chose to make the body that I hated and mistreated for so long into His temple. Scripture tells us that we are not our own, we were bought at a very high price: the blood of Jesus. Therefore, we are called to glorify Him with our bodies. . So, if you are ever tempted to view your body as I did, please remember that you are worth much more than you think. The staggering reality is that we, bodies included, are immeasurably valuable because God created us, loves us, died for us, and lives in us. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. • Alissa Griffin . • What does it mean to bear the image of God? What does this say about how valuable our bodies are to God? . • What does it mean to glorify God with our bodies? . Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (CSB)
Into the Unknown
December 2, 2019 • Linda Washington • Genesis 12:1–9, Psalm 13:5
I grunted as I gazed at the viewport. Black space. Tiny white dots in the distance. Nothing new here. I side-eyed Dad. This was his fault. He acted like he knew where we were going. . Dad, a seasoned commander, looked up from the blinking lights of the console. “Still not speaking to me, Tai?” . I fingered one of my braids. He’d named me Tai—Swahili for eagle. I was born to fly, he always said. Born to explore the unknown. . Though I wanted to continue giving him the silent treatment, I caved. “I’m concentrating. You gave me the helm after all.” It was what I’d aced in flight class. “How do you expect me to calculate the entry if I don’t know where to go?” . Dad laughed like I’d said something hilarious. “I gave you the vector to the jump point. We’ll make planetfall then. Just follow the coordinates.” . He acted like this was no big deal. But we were in the middle of Nowhere Space. I wasn’t sure our tiny ship could make it to the planet he claimed was in Tau Quadrant. I’d left all my friends behind in Gamma Quadrant. All because Dad claimed God wanted us to find a planet that might have water—a precious commodity back home. Now there was no chance of me applying to Advanced Flight School when I turned eighteen! . I broke the silence again. “There are too many unknown variables. What if we overshoot wherever we’re going?” . “Do you trust me?” . I took in a breath. I knew what he meant. Did I trust him to know what was best for us? I slowly let out my held breath. He’d always been there for me. He’d never let me down before. . “Jump point ahead,” I said. It was now or never. “Throttle up.” . The ship shook as it made the jump. Seconds later, there it was in front of us: a small, blue planet. That meant water. Maybe this would be a good place after all. • Linda Washington . • Today’s story echoes the true story from today’s Bible passage. Abram heard from God: “Go... to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). That required trust: a belief that God was good and loving and that He would provide. Because of Jesus, why can we trust God no matter what (Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:12-13)? . I trust in your unfailing love. Psalm 13:5 (NLT)
Get Some Rest
November 5, 2019 • Alexis Wohler • Matthew 11:28, Genesis 2:2, 1 Kings 19:1–8
"There will be a test over the material later this week,” Ashley heard the professor say as her class ended. "Will I even have time to study for that test?" she wondered. . She was taking college classes while in high school and working part-time to pay for them. Just as she felt the stress close in on her, her friend Ryan caught up with her in the hallway. “Ashley, wait up. I’ll walk you to your next class,” he offered. . Ashley tried not to show how stressed she was, but Ryan figured it out. “You’re working all week. You don’t think you’ll have time to study for this test, do you?” . When Ashley nodded, Ryan asked, “How about we get coffee after school and quiz each other on the material?” . “Count me in,” said Ashley. . Later that afternoon, Ryan quizzed Ashley at the coffee shop. But her eyes kept closing. . “History records dictate that... Ashley is asleep from exhaustion,” Ryan said, laughing lightly as he touched her arm to wake her up. . “Huh... What? Did I seriously fall asleep? Sorry about that.” . Ryan finally asked her what was wrong. Ashley admitted she was having trouble keeping up with the demands of classes and said she had no one to lean on. . “You’ve got me, Ash. I’m always here for you. If you really need rest, go to sleep early tonight. God can give you rest too, like it says in Matthew 11:28.” . As Ashley studied later that night, Ryan’s kind words and the verse he had mentioned kept coming back to her: “Come to me, all of you who are weary... and I will give you rest.” . She let the words sink in, praying, "Lord, if I’m going to pass this test, I need rest. Please fill me with Your peace." As she finished praying, she felt calmer. She closed her books and finally got some sleep. • Alexis Wohler . • Sometimes it feels like everything in the world depends on us. How does it bring you peace knowing that your life depends on Jesus, not you? . • God created us to need rest, which is why He gave us the Sabbath. What are some ways you can practice intentional rest in your own life? . • Who can you talk to when you feel overwhelmed and exhausted? . Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NLT)