Combating expectations as young Christians

Society says as young people we are lazy, naive, rebellious, and followers not leaders. The world does not expect much from us as young people and that has transferred over to the church. We are told we need to follow other's examples not be the examples. The bible has very different things to say, and I'm hoping as a young christian myself at 24 years old I can help other young Christians strive to be leaders not followers, to be servants not those who are served, to find worth in God's eyes not the world's eyes. 1 Timothy 4: 12 says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." About me: My name is Caleb I am 24 years old, graduated from Pepperdine University and am in my 2nd year in law school at Texas Tech. I am not a young person who has been rejected by society so I am lashing out, quite the opposite. I found myself in college to be a part of the world, I drank, I partied, I went on spring break trips to Mexico, I was in a fraternity, I even modeled professionally in LA for a while. What I realized is that some where along the way I had succumbed to the World's expectations of what a college student should be and put God on the back burner. My mind set was that I had time to be a good Christian and an example when I was older, I realize now that there's no better time to serve God and be an example then the now. I have rededicated my life to Christ and helping young people do the same. I sin and I struggle but I want to help people like me fight those struggles and want them to help me do the same!

[collegedoulos]

DRINKING ALCOHOL AND BEING A CHRISTIAN

This is something that has been a struggle with me for a long time. Not to say that I struggle to drink alcohol or get drunk but how I feel about it has been a struggle. Don't get me wrong I have had many a drunken nights in my past when I put my Christianity on hold for unjustified reasons. What exactly I struggle with is can you be a devout Christian and still drink. I'm not talking about having a drink on rare occasions I am talking about having a few drinks a week. 

I hear Christians justify drinking, saying Christ turned water into wine at a wedding so it must be okay. While I am not denying that event took place and in fact it was an alcoholic beverage and not grape juice like some people argue, I have a hard time understanding how alcohol fits into a Christian lifestyle. I mean we are supposed to live apart from the world and alcohol seems to be so worldly. What I have sought out to do over the last few months is really wrap my head around this idea and I would welcome anyone else's opinion because I really want to understand this as fully as possible. 

What we Know: 

We know the bible mentions an alcoholic beverage in some way at least 75 times in the bible.

We know that many times it is mentioned in a negative instance 

For ex: 

The Bible says that "wine is a mocker,intoxicating drink arouses brawling" (Proverbs 20:1).  

1 Corinthians 5:11 - If a Christian brother is a drinker, do not associate with him.

Matthew 24:48-51 - A drinking servant is unprepared for his Lord’s return.

What we Also Know: 

We also know that the bible never specifically says do not have an alcoholic beverage

We know the only specific references are do not get drunk or be a drunkard

Jesus turned water into wine (although we know the content of alcohol was much lower than today since it was naturally fermented)

Scriptures that may indirectly relate:

Paul established a rule of conduct that I think is very good. He said he would not eat meat or drink wine or do anything else which would cause a weaker brother to stumble (see Romans 14:14-21).

Our bodies are the temple of the Lord 1 Corinthians 3:16

So where does This leave us???

[collegedoulos]

I'm having some problems being a Christian dating a non Christian. I want to save sex til marriage but my boyfriend and I had Skype sex last week and now I'm freaking out. Am I still a virgin? Is that still considered sex?

It's definitely a tricky thing to do. I was in a very similar position to you last year. I do not recommend dating someone who is not a christian unless they are at least interested in becoming one/you are currently studying with them. In general, I would suggest not doing it at all if you can abstain. I have found that it is a lot easier to compromise morals as a christian than it is for a person who is not a christian to give up worldly desires. With that being said if you decide to stay in this relationship you as a christian have the important role of being a light in his life. That means not giving into things like "skype sex." Trust me it's a real slippery slope and it's all still sin if you are giving into lust. "virginity" is a tough thing. it's hard for me to answer this question because virginity is a worldly definition created by man. God says flee and abstain from sexual immorality in 1 Corinthians and 1 thessalonians. Sexual immorality seems to encompass a lot more than just full on sexual intercourse, with that being said don't let what you did with your bf discourage from trying to abstain from sex. All of us have done things we regret and did not want to do (I've done many things I've regretted, including some sexual so I'm speaking to myself here) but the important thing to remember is your mindset and God's grace. To us the physical things we have done resign-ate with us, to God it's our mindset. 

[collegedoulos]

WORK GRIND.........................................

Have you ever have a job you just hated? Been given tasks that you think are beneath you? Or slacked off when no one was around? Trust me I have been there many times.

One concept that I remember my dad always reiterating when I would complain to him about my job (mostly when I worked at abercrombie) was "Work like you are working for the Lord." This concept is not new. It comes from Col 3:23 which reads, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." 

Remember whoever may be your boss at your job it is God who is your real boss. It is God who you are really working for. When no one can see what you are or aren't doing at your job, God can.

But the bible also gives another scripture that is relevant to working with earthly bosses even though it is talking about a slave/master relationship. 

1TI 6:1 "All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them."

My take away is this, whoever you are serving (your boss) you need to show them respect as a Christian. This will bring Glory to God's name and Christianity. 

Remember you are also a Christian at your job, which means you are an example to everyone else. One way to be an example to unbelievers in the work world is by showing them you are working for the Lord by not complaining, and by doing a good job despite the circumstances. 

[collegedoulos]

"Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there."

[collegedoulos]

1. The Difference in Motive

The first difference lies with the man’s motive in pursuing the relationship. Biblical courtship has one motive — to find a spouse. A man will court a particular woman because he believes it is possible that he could marry her, and the courtship is the process of...

[collegedoulos]

Someone asked me about courting yesterday so I thought I would post what I wrote on it about 2 years ago! Hope it helps some of you. 

[collegedoulos]

Praise the Lord! I am done with another year of Law School, thanks to lots of hard work and prayer I survived!

[collegedoulos]

Spiritually Tired these DAYS?

Here is a little article I came across the other day on feeling tired spiritually. It's very short which is perfect if you are drained like I am. 

David shows exactly what to do and how to handle this situation. In Psalm 57, King Saul has been chasing David all over the country trying to kill him. It’s there that David finds himself hiding alone in a cave obviously scared, frustrated, lonely and overwhelmed. I loved what David does …

He prays, prays and then prays some more. vs.1-4

He takes time to worship. He changes his focus from himself and his problems to God and how great He is. vs.5

He reminds himself of God’s past faithfulness to him and decides to trust God to get him through this trying time. vs.7-11

Sometimes when we are feeling spiritually or physically drained the best thing to do is take alone time with God. Go somewhere you find peace and leave the rest of the world behind you for a while by connecting with your father.

[collegedoulos]

If Jesus came back right now, would you be okay with where you at? 

If you want to see what real Christianity is about, live every day as if you knew Jesus was coming back that same day.  

[collegedoulos]

CHRISTIAN DRAFT

In light of the NFL draft I had a thought:

If God was drafting a team of Christians to be here on this earth to evangelize and reach out to unbelievers, what round would you be picked in? 

Think about this.

NFL teams look at all kinds of statistics, game footage, and combine reports when drafting their future players. They look at what that person can add to their team.

If God did the same and looked at what you could add to his team, how many lost souls you could reach out to, where would you fall? It got me thinking, I myself would not be drafted very high right now. 

You should aspire to be that first round pick. We are all far from perfect and are all far from where we should be at times, but we should aspire and try to be that first round pick. 

[collegedoulos]

PRAYER REQUESTS PLEASE!

I am trying to do a post a day to keep myself accountable to using this thing to spread God's word. With that being said I am too tired from Law school finals/studying to write anything challenging tonight. SO I have decided instead to bring back something I used to do once a week...PRAYER REQUESTS.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN PRAY FOR YOU ABOUT? PLEASE MESSAGE ME!!!

[collegedoulos]

Judgmental or just love?

I was talking to someone the other day who takes the position that even if they believe someone is living in sin it's not their place to confront that person and tell them that. Now I am not condoning any kind of confrontation because I do believe love is very important in any situation especially when you are trying to help someone through sin. I see far too many Christians turn people off from how they approach others which is why the approach you take is important. I would not encourage anyone to confront someone if they have not first invested in that person and have a loving relationship and rapport with them.

The point of all this is though is it got me thinking. What if that person you didn't confront and try to help through their sin was going to die the next day? What if you were the only person who could help them get on the right path? What if you were the only person who could help them get to heaven? Doesn't it make the situation seem a bit selfish when you think about it? What embarrassment and what possible offense from confronting someone can compare to a soul reaching heaven?

Being called judgmental and offending someone is worth every second if you have a possibility of helping them get to heaven. That is why we are here. We are placed on this earth to bring people to heaven with us.

 In fact we are placed on this earth to keep our brothers and sisters who may be falling into sin accountable. We are commanded in the bible to confront them about it. 

 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."

I think there is a big confusion between being judgmental and doing our due diligence as Christians. When the bible condemns Judging it has to do with judging someone's salvation, that which is only determined by God. But what people have turned that into is if you disagree openly about how they are living or express your concern as a Christian, you are judging them. 

I disagree with those people. If you are not going to your brother or sister when they sin, you are not following God's command.

Those who want to refer to this as being judgmental go ahead, I will continue to call it LOVE. 

~Keep calm and Christ on 

[collegedoulos]

  To a world consumed with having stuff I ask, where are you storing up your treasures? Are they in heaven or are they on this earth?

I address this to myself as well. I am often guilty of having money and possessions on my mind. My drive to get through law school often is to make the big bucks, to have that big house, and that nice truck. But that's not why I am here, that's not why we are here. We are called to be where we are not for the money but for the glory we can bring to God. Instead of asking how much can I make from this job, we should be asking how much can I glorify God from this job. Don't get me wrong having money is not a bad thing, but if your drive is money IT IS a bad thing! 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal."

[collegedoulos]

This is a picture of my friend Cole (to the left) and myself (to the right) on an inner city mission trip we did two years ago. I met Cole 3 years ago when I first started interning in college ministry when I lived in California. He had a couple of learning disabilities he developed from a bicycle accident he was in as a kid and was comfortable staying in youth group and didn't want to move up to college group where he didn't know anyone. It was my task to make him feel comfortable and help him with that transition. Soon it wasn't a task and I developed a very meaningful relationship with Cole and so did a lot of other people in our college group for that matter. Cole was one of the few people who made it to every event we put on. His parents didn't attend church so he would either have them drop him off for ask me to pick him up. He loved church and loved all of us. He was one of the most caring and kind hearted individuals I have ever known. He never let any of his shortcomings get him down and was a constant source of encouragement to every one who knew him. 

The last couple of years I've been in Texas for law school and have had a rough time staying fully devoted and enthused for Christ. I have had many hard times where I have felt genuinely discouraged and disconnected from God. It has been a trying time for me and have been needing a push back into Christ. Sometimes that push comes in unanticipated and unwanted ways. About two weeks ago I found out my friend Cole got into a car accident and died. I was in the library when I got the call and still remember the shock that ran through my mind and body. I had literally just talked to him a week before on the phone and missed a call from him the day before. I was devastated. The last time I saw Cole was over winter break when he picked me up for lunch right after he got his license. I will never forget that day because he took me to the restaurant he worked at and introduced me to everyone he worked with as his best friend. The thing is I really cared for Cole, but even more so he really looked up to me. I was kind of like a mentor to him, and I got to see him grow in so many ways.

Sometimes good can come in the most awful of circumstances. This wasn't the push I would ever ask for but nonetheless this was the push that brought me back to Christ. When Cole was still with us he was known for calling or texting people that stopped coming to events or church and telling him he missed them and asking them why they hadn't been coming, why they weren't around. If I missed a single night at college group I could expect a text from Cole asking me where I was and wanting to be there even if I was sick. After the dust settled and I had some time to reminisce, I thought about what Cole would say to me if he was here. He would tell me to stop making excuses and start showing up. He would ask me what I was doing and why I wasn't being active?  I couldn't help but think that he was looking down at me from heaven and telling me to man up, to be bold with my faith, and start acting like the mentor I was to him. Even in Cole's death he was encouraging people. He was encouraging me. He was using the gift that God gave him. 

It is no question that I am sad that I lost my friend and my brother, but celebrating the life of Cole brought me back to Christ. His deeds followed him after he passed away and have had such a positive impact on me. I can't help but smile knowing heaven gained such an incredible person.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

[collegedoulos]

If life were stable, we would never need God's help

[collegedoulos]

Last Minute push for those who have finals tomorrow!

For those of you, like me, who have finals tomorrow I leave you with this!

"Do not give up for your hard work will be rewarded." - 2 Chronicles 15:7 

[collegedoulos]

KEEP CALM CHRIST ON

[collegedoulos]

5 Scriptures to get you through finals

1. John 14: 27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

2. Isaiah 40:30-31 "Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

3. Philippians 4: 6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hears and your minds in Christ Jesus."

 4. 1 Peter 5: 6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

5. Psalms 55:22 "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."

Good luck to all you that have finals

Keep Calm Christ On