One final thought on this issue that wasn’t expressed very well in my last blog, was referenced in my Blueberry Donuts blog, and expressed early on in my blog about this issue. At what age can a child “know” that they are a boy or a girl. In this case it seems that it’s very much the parents pushing, and ultimately the parents are the ones who need to be directing their children in what is appropriate and not. I find it hard to believe that a child at the age of 18 months would identify themselves as a girl without and prodding from their parents. So my answer to this issue remains the same-Coy should not be using the girls bathroom, but the parents are the ones who need to be held responsible for it. Sexuality in our culture is becoming a very grey issue, yet thanks to Scripture, Christians can and should treat it as a much more black and white issue than our culture allows.
All posts in category Life
Coy Mathis – Continued
Posted by mikethestrand on March 8, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/03/08/coy-mathis-continued/
Creating a Contrast Culture
The Gospel Coalition had an interesting article yesterday titled ‘Create a Contrast Culture in Your Church‘. The article starts of with many people asking what program the church uses to produce the discipling, evangelizing, and hospitality that are easy to see. The answer is not a program, but rather that they offer tools to create a different culture of discipling, evangelizing and hospitality.
One of the phrases that most stuck out to me was: “Think about the local church as an embassy from the future.” I had never thought about that before. Christians on this side of heaven are preparing for a new heaven and a new earth where we will constantly be in God’s presence in a New Jerusalem. I think there has been some great work done on helping us appreciate that heaven will not be us sitting around on clouds playing harps, but instead a place where we will continue to do the things we love to do, but without pain and suffering, just like the Garden of Eden (see Randy Alcorn’s Heaven).
The article then lists 12 ways churches can create a culture that contrasts the culture of the world around them. One of the most important that I see in this list is number five:
Encourage church members to build their lives into one another’s. Yes, we want friendships outside of our churches. But Christians should also prioritize relationships within their churches, where they can leverage the same ministry of the Word in one another’s lives.
I think it’s far too easy to neglect the church family for your own family or for your own wants and desires. I think people have a far too narrow view of their relationships-the relationships they have with people who are believers will last for eternity. The phrase “blood is thicker than water” is true, but the reverse is true for the church body, “water is thicker than blood.” Those of us who have been baptized into the body have a new family that we need to invest our lives into and encourage them regularly, and even more as each day brings us closer to the day of Christ’s return.
Posted by mikethestrand on March 7, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/03/07/creating-a-contrast-culture/
Coy Mathis and Sexual Confusion
Not to far away from where I live in in Cheyenne, is a little boy name Coy Mathis who has grown up acting and thinking he is a girl. The family was originally concerned with this, but as they took him to many doctors, they were told that Coy is simply a female trapped in a males body. He’s 6 years old. Before I get into the theological ideas behind this, what 6 year old knows the difference between the sexes? I don’t remember thinking anything was different until I hit puberty. Boys and girls were simply people that I was friends with. In the case of Coy, he apparently begin displaying feminine characteristics from the time he was 18 months old. He dresses as a girl, plays with girl toys and identifies himself as a girl. The school he’s attending has called his parents to inform them that Coy could no longer use the girl’s bathroom because he is a boy. The parents are now suing the school. What kind of a world are we now living in?
Looking in the Bible beginning in Genesis 1:27 we read, “so God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” This verse has far reaching ramifications for today, far more than most people realize. From the very beginning of creation we see that God created humans as male and female. There are only 2 distinct sexes within creation. So while this is the way God originally intended creation to function, the story does not stop there, and everyone knows the next part of the story in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve chose sin over God. Going on to the New Testament in Romans 1, we see exactly what this sin has done, a few excerpts, starting in verse 18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth…claiming to be wise, they became fools…therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves…for this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.” This shows us exactly what the effects of sin are! Instead of using our bodies in the way we should and the way they are intended people instead use their bodies for their own glory and what God has never intended them to be. So a boy is created as a boy and a girl is created as a girl.
We see later on in Romans everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. David says in Psalm 51 “I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” So even the cute little babies who are just born are sinners, just like you and me. There is a fantastic article exploring the original link between sexuality and spirituality. We shouldn’t be surprised that this is the direction our culture is going. Instead it should drive us to the cross and to our knees in prayer both for our culture and for us to have the strength to take a stand.
So what should our response as Christians be to Coy Mathis? Well for one, it shouldn’t surprise us. Our culture will push back to truth and will continue to encourage “expressing” yourself through your sexuality. I think the school made the right choice in not allowing Coy to use the girls bathroom, he is a boy whether he thinks so or not, and should continue to use the bathroom that has been designed for his body.
Posted by mikethestrand on March 7, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/03/07/coy-mathis-and-sexual-confusion/
One Family?
I just read this fantastic article titled ‘One Family Under God‘ at the Ligonier website. The article is challenging the assumption that churches should have a separate children’s church because we are called to be one body. This is something that I have felt at can often struggle with at the church I serve now, especially as I help out with the youth group ministry.
I think the most powerful point in the article is:
A church that ministers effectively to all age groups will keep the gospel alone as the foundation for church life and unity. Believers of all ages must be taught that our union with Christ, regardless of age, is what makes us one body. A tenyear- old Christian has more in common with an eighty-year-old Christian than with ten-year-old unbelievers. Where this is recognized and celebrated, real gospelcentered community thrives.
I’ve said this since I came to this church! We cannot have each different age group spending time only with that age group. I think this has changed the landscape of the church and has contributed to the decline of twenty somethings going to church. We are to be one body for a purpose-not fragmented pieces of a body spread throughout different locations.
Posted by mikethestrand on March 6, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/03/06/one-family/
The Consequences of a Liberal Lifestyle
I found a very interesting story about how the culture is pushing a 10 year old to become a gamer as well as watch explicit videos on YouTube. You can read the article here. This is a very sad commentary on what is going on in the world today. This is something I experienced in going to public school in rural North Dakota, with people showing me pornographic pictures in 7th grade. Thankfully, gaming wasn’t as big of an issue, and the only online interaction we had was MSN Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger, and I even had to sneak onto those to use them!
My only concern with the article is Rod’s response. As he explains why this is the very reason he homeschools his kids, he goes on to say that parents are alone in this struggle:
Your kids’ school is not going to help you, and may not be able to even if it wanted to.
Your church, lacking an awareness of the seriousness of the cultural situation, and perhaps having lost confidence in its message, is probably not going to help you. Your community is probably not going to help you either, because people either choose not to see what’s happening, or understandably feel so powerless against technology and the deeper cultural forces it carries with it that they tell themselves it’s not as bad as all that.
It’s just you. What now?
I find this even more sad than a liberal culture negatively affecting children! Of course the culture is going to continue to push Christians away from what is good right and true, but does that mean families need to pull in even closer to their “bubble” to protect themselves without any concern for what is going on around them? NO! This is the very reason we have the church and community around us to lovingly support rebuke and encourage us in our growth in holiness. Yes, the church hasn’t always done a good job of reaching out to families and helping to protect them, I’m struggling with this at the church I serve in as well, but there are many good families who are together doing the best they can to help each other as they raise their children to, Lord willing, become godly men and women. If we don’t have the church to support us in this, who do we have? I’m incredibly grateful for families who took an interest in me as I was growing up. Even when I go back home today I’ll stop and visit those parents just to catch up. That is what the body should do as we live in a broken culture. Don’t withdraw, but engage and show how we interact with the world around us in a godly way.
Posted by mikethestrand on March 6, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/03/06/the-consequences-of-a-liberal-lifestyle/
Blueberry Donuts – Caught Not Taught
I’ve been reading and hearing a lot lately about why students are leaving the church, and even last week wrote a blog on it. Yet as I’ve been doing more reflecting on it, I really think it gets back to the responsibility of the parents. No where in Scripture do I see church leaders being held responsible for what is going on in kids’ lives. Sure, James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” but I don’t see the teachers being held accountable for another persons sin, but I do see it being the parents responsibility for their children (Eph 6:1-4, Deut 6:6-9, Titus 2:4, Proverbs 22:6). Now I want to be careful to not cross into legalism here, and I think many times the phrase “it takes a village” to raise a child is very true. We need the church and the support of the people in the church to help raise children-parents need to be willing to admit they can’t do it on their own. Yet what I see throughout Scripture and in my own life is a very important phrase to remember in being a parent. What kids learn is often caught not taught.
This morning I went to the grocery store to buy some more creamer for my coffee. Every time I go to get creamer I grab a donut on my way. This donut it a blueberry donut, which is my favorite donut for one reason – that’s the exact kind of donut my dad always used to get when I was growing up. I remember there was a donut shop in La Crosse, Wisconsin that my dad would take me to (I don’t remember the name of it) and they had a blueberry donut that my dad apparently really liked and would get every time. Because of that, I would also get a blueberry donut, and they continue to be my favorite to this day. So parents: what are you teaching your kids today? Do they see someone who is following Christ with their whole life, or someone who just goes to church because it’s what they are expected to do? Children are a lot more observant than you might think so be careful: your actions speak a whole lot more than your words.
Posted by mikethestrand on February 28, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/02/28/blueberry-donuts-caught-not-taught/
Introverted Evangelists
Found this article titled ‘The Introverted Evangelist‘ yesterday and found it very insightful. On every personality test I’ve ever taken I’ve been an extrovert to the extreme! I love people, I love being around people and never like being alone. Talking to people is generally very easy for me and the instant I walk into a room I have new best friends. Because of this it is often hard for me to identify with introverts.
The main point I liked from the article was:
What is an evangelist anyways? An evangelist isn’t a personality type or a personality disorder, but an evangelist is one who brings good news, both in the proclamation with the mouth and their actions. If this is the case, where does it say that an evangelist is going to be an extrovert or introvert? What if God’s plan was for everyone to do the work of an evangelist? (2 Tim 4:5). Think of the power of the church if we empower both the extrovert and the introvert to be the representation of the good news in the way that God has made them? How many more people would be reached for the sake of Jesus?
We took the youth group to a Dare 2 Share conference a couple weeks ago that fell into the extrovert evangelism camp. During one afternoon we had to go to a mall and share the Gospel with a stranger. Many of the students weren’t very comfortable with this, especially the introverted ones. I don’t think trying to talk to strangers is always the best way to evangelize.
The church needs both introverts and extroverts to be the body. We are different and can and should use our gifts and personalities to God’s glory. I hope and pray I’m able to reach out and influence the introverts I know, but continue to encourage them to live out their mission to make disciples.
Posted by mikethestrand on February 21, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/02/21/introverted-evangelists/
Top 10 Reasons Our Kids Leave Church
Last week I did a blog titled ‘Resisting Being Cutting Edge‘ and included a link to another blog titled ‘Top 10 Reasons Our Kids Leave Church‘ Today I’m going to interact a little with that article. This article says the 10 reasons are:
10. The Church is “Relevant”
9. They never attended church to begin with
8. They get smart
7. You sent them out unarmed
6. You gave them hand me downs
5. Community
4. They found better feelings
3. They got tired of pretending
2. They know the truth
1. They don’t need it
It’s worth reading the explanations in the article, but the thing I don’t see on here is family upbringing. I think this is the key to all these other issues. We have professionals who take care of every need we have. There are teachers who are professional educators, doctors who are professional health care providers, shouldn’t we have professional Christians too? I hate to break it to you, but there is only one professional Christian who we can read about in the Bible. His name is Jesus. Ultimately we need to trust that God is going to work in the students lives as we do our best to instruct them, but I think it’s almost completely up to the parents. The parents are the ones who have the option of spending the most time with their kids, and the ones who the kids will most often imitate.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This is not a universal truth, but it is a general trend. Ultimately children have their own minds and identities, but in the grace of God those who are raised in Bible believing and God fearing homes will grow to be the same. Parents need to start stepping up and setting an example for their children as they grow to be more Christ like in their lives. If the parents are nominal Christians the students will be that AT BEST, and most often will completely fall out of church.
The other issue I see with these top 10 reasons is that we NEED community in the church. We all have these spiritual blind spots and sin issues in our lives that we aren’t aware of until someone else points them out in our lives. Were it not for the church people would follow their own thinking and reasoning right into sin. Community may be a buzz word in the Christian circle today (just as “Gospel” is), but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t value it. The call to Christianity is a call to community. We need the body around us to support encourage and hold us accountable.
Posted by mikethestrand on February 20, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/02/20/top-10-reasons-our-kids-leave-church/
“Christian” Music
I so often struggle with “Christian” music. I grew up at a time where “good” Christians only listened to music by Christians, and one of the first CDs I ever got was ‘Jesus Freak’ by DC Talk. I still really enjoy that CD, and still regularly hear the title track on the radio…it came out in 1995. If I listen to non Christian radio I’ll hear the top tracks from today, yet the “most current” Christian radio station still plays songs from when I was 7. If that’s the best Christian music has to offer, we’re doing something wrong.
1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us that everything we do should be done to God’s glory, which means we should do the best we can for him. I think this applies to music as well! Christians should be on the forefront of musical trends and setting the example for others for how to do music well! Yet too often I see Christians copying whatever the latest trend is (Eminem gets popular, and we get KJ-52, Black Eyed Peas get big and we get Group 1 Crew). Granted, there are some people, like Lecrae, who are on the forefront of their musical genre and using it as an opportunity to spread hope, but overall we seem to be stuck in a rut musically.
This isn’t something I have a quick and easy fix for how we can get better music, and I’m still working through all the ramifications of this as well. But my overall sense is that Christians are greatly failing in so many areas to do things to the best of their ability. I’m honestly tired of the charts that compare “secular” artists to “Christian” artists – if the music is good, listen to it and use it as an opportunity to talk about different worldviews.
Posted by mikethestrand on February 18, 2013
https://pastormikesmusings.com/2013/02/18/christian-music/
This is Me
Pastor Mike's Musings 