WWUTT 470 Q&A God Bless Youth Group Hobby Evangelism?

When we sing God Bless America, who are we singing to? How should a church conduct a youth group? And how can we recover from a bad evangelism experience? The answers to these questions, When We Understand the Text.

You're listening to When We Understand the Text, a daily Bible study that we may be filled with the fullness of God. Find videos on a variety of Bible topics at our website, www .wutt .com. Now here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.

Along with my co-host, Becky Hughes. Hello. You actually have to say something, not sit there and grin, because they can't hear you do that. I'll get used to that. I'll work on it. So Becky listens to the broadcast, right?

Yes. Almost every day. Almost. Okay. Did you listen to today's? Well, hang on. We're recording this on Thursday night, so it would be yesterday's, the Thursday episode through First Kings. Did you listen to that one?

I didn't. Okay. Because we go through the same thing in our Bible study at home on Thursday night. So Becky won't listen to that episode, otherwise she just hears me repeat it. But as often as you have to step out of the room to take care of a crying child, you might as well just go ahead and listen to it.

Sometimes I do, whenever I have time. And that way Fills in the blank. Yeah.

You know you're not missing anything. So, because I was going to ask you if I mentioned on the broadcast, this was a question that came up at our Bible study related to Abijam, whether he was Asa's brother or his father.

Okay. So in First Kings 15 verse 8, it says, Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in his place. Then in verse 9, in the 20th year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah.

And he reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Mayaka, the daughter of Abishalom. Well, that was also Abijam's mother. Right.

So, but it says We had to flip back just to make sure. Right.

But it says, Asa his son reigned in his place. So is Asa Abijam's brother or his son? And I want to say that on the broadcast, I mentioned that he was his brother. So then the question came up in the Bible study, well, how could that be when it mentions that Asa is his son?

It says, Asa his son reigned in his place. It's actually referring to David. Asa was David's son. Right. And really his great grandson. Right. But because Asa and Abijam had the same mother, they could not be

Father and son. Right. They had to be brothers. As it's referenced earlier, David being Abijam's father, even though he's his great grandfather. So it was the case with Asa as well, David being Asa's great grandfather.

Right. Okay. So anyway, clarifying that from the episode yesterday, since it was brought up in the Bible study as well. Yes. That is good to clarify. So here we are on the Friday edition of the broadcast.

We take questions from the listeners and I have a co-host to help me out. Sometimes Becky just comes up with a better way to say it than I do. I don't know. Sometimes, maybe. So this first question actually has to do with the what video that I posted on July 4th.

Did you watch that one? No. God bless America.

No. Really? You're behind on the what videos? I am. I'm way behind. There's just certain things that, you know, you just, I'm doing the Bible study on Thursday nights and Bible study on Monday mornings and the life of a pastor's wife.

And then when she watches a video of mine anyway, she goes, ah, I've heard Gabe say that.

Yes, that too. But it's fun because I like watching the little people pop up and like, I don't know. You do a very good job of placing them. Thank you.

You're welcome. That's just random stock photo searches on Google is all. I know, but it's hilarious. So Jeff wrote in and he said, I seriously disagree with your video, God bless America. Oh dear. So maybe before we get to his serious disagreement, let's go ahead and play the video first.

Sounds good. So you won't get to see the faces, but you'll get to hear the video. In Acts 17, the apostle Paul stood at the Areopagus where he preached, men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious.

For as I passed along the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription to the unknown God, what you worship is unknown. I proclaim to you as known the God who made the world and everything in it being Lord of heaven and earth does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed anything since he himself gives to all mankind, life and breath and everything.

And he made from one man, every nation of men to live on the earth, having determined their time and boundaries that they should seek God and find him. Yet he's not far from each one of us for in him, we live and move and have our being.

And as your own poets have said, we are indeed his offspring being God's offspring. We ought not to think he's an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed and has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

We print in God we trust on our money, say one nation under God in the pledge of allegiance and sing God bless America at our sporting events. But do not assume this is the triune God of the Bible. These are America's alters to an unknown God.

The judgment of God is coming upon every nation. We must preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only word that will save their souls when we understand the text. All right. So what did you think? I was good.

She's not going to tell me that was terrible. It was terrible. Terrible. Terrible. All right. So Jeff wrote in and he thought it was terrible. I seriously disagree with your video. God bless America. When I say it or when I ask for God's blessing on the country, I am praying to the God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ of the Bible.

Therefore, since I am a child of God, follower of Jesus Christ, I am not following an unknown God. Usually you get these videos, right? I'm sad to say you got this one wrong. Well, my response to Jeff was this as an individual, certainly when you say God bless America, you can be referring to the triune God.

The point of the video is when you hear the name of God intermixed with national patriotism. Do not confuse this declaration with faith in Jesus Christ. Civic religion is not biblical Christianity. This nation needs the gospel and they need it desperately.

So don't assume just because we have in God we trust printed on our money that we are a God fearing nation. That means that they read it.

They read what? They would have to read the currency.

Right. I don't read it. Because who's looking at anything on the currency except the number that's in the corner? Thank you. Yeah, right. So they're not even reading the currency, let alone their Bibles.

This is true. To follow in God we trust. So that's my response to Jeff. So when you say God bless America, or you sing God bless America, you can mean from your heart that you are calling upon the triune God to bless this nation with repentance that the people of this country would turn from their sin and seek God and worship the Christ of the Bible.

You can desire that. But when it's said in our public discourse, that's not what it means. Nor should you assume that's what's being said whenever you hear it said in our in our patriotism.

Yeah. I've come across elementary students who say they they don't know anything about God.

And it's interesting. Yeah, I mean, the number of people that I'll witness to in our community, and we'll be quoting john 316. And I met with just blank faces. Yes. Like they've never heard this verse before, right?

Even though they might say I grew up in church, right? You know, we even assume that john 316 is a common commonly known verse, right?

So because the football player was his name, Tim Tebow. Oh, yeah. Yeah. He's now a baseball player. Right? Yeah.

Exactly. Had it on his eye makeup. Yeah. And then it was the most searched Bible verse on the web at the time that he did that in the bowl game that he played in where he had that on his eye makeup. Why did so many people search for it on Google?

Because they didn't know it. Yeah. If they knew john 316, why would they have to be searching for the reference? Right. So there's a reason why it was so searched for is because people didn't know what john 316 was.

Exactly. So anyway, so so that's, that's my response to you, Jeff, and I appreciate the disagreement. And I understand where you're coming from. But it is mainly to understand that the way that we have God interwoven and all of our now our national patriotism should not be confused with a national fear of God, because that's certainly not the climate of our nation right now.

Definitely not as a general population.

The Meaning of “God Bless America” and Civic Religion

So next question comes from Stephen, he says, Hey, Pastor Gabe, I was wondering if you could speak to how your church does its youth ministry, and what resources you would recommend for youth pastors to read, and then for youth pastors to teach students, my wife and I love your podcast.

Well, very simply, we just preach the Bible, our youth group at our church is Bible study. It's the same Bible study we would do for adults. But we probably whittle it down a certain way for teenagers to understand or when it comes to giving common real world examples that they could understand in relationship with the text that we're reading.

They're going to be examples catered to what they're going through in their life. So that's the way that's the way that we do our youth group. It's not funny, ridiculous games. I mean, what you typically video games, right, which was going on in our church when we first came that the students were playing video games before we sat down and had youth group and it actually was so bad that we completely abolished it.

We eliminated youth group for about two or three years. Yeah, it was a long time. And then when we brought it back in when we had a number of teenagers, and we wanted to do a Bible study with them. That's what it was Bible study, not youth group.

And we're, we're very hesitant to call it youth group because of what that brings to people's minds. Whenever you say that the silliness that typically goes with your common American youth group. So it's Bible study and we use there's an Iwana program going on Wednesday night whenever we have our youth Bible study.

And so we use the journey books, but we only use those books to fill in the Q &A that they'll have in the books and to do the memory verses that they recommend. But we don't use those books to guide the lesson.

We just simply open up our Bibles. We teach the teens to open their Bibles up, read along with the text, to use scripture to interpret scripture, and to study things in context. So it's Bibles open at the table.

We went through Galatians in the fall and then Ephesians in the spring. And so I guess the next one will be Colossians. That's what we'll go to. Philippians is after Ephesians.

And before you guys went to Bible study, instead of playing video games and stuff like that, you had the kids clean up the fellowship hall after the meeting as part of a service. So they learn how to get involved with the church because that was one of the hard parts during that two, three years off of not having youth group, completely not having one, is that we were encouraging them to get engaged in the adult study.

And that just never, it didn't click for too many. That wasn't happening.

No. And we are so transient as a church because of Fort Riley that we'll have families that'll come in and they're expecting a youth group because that's what they had at their previous church. And it's difficult to get their mentality to shift away from that.

They'll just come right in the church and look around and go, nothing for my teen. And so then they'll leave and go somewhere else. And so it's difficult to get the mentality to shift away from the concept of youth group.

So we offer Bible study. And we'll put it on the website as youth, under our youth category. So when somebody is looking for something at our church and they see what kind of ministries we have, they'll see that there's something there for their teenager.

And then prior to Bible study, the teens are cleaning up our fellowship hall. We'll have our fellowship meal from five to six o 'clock. And they did dishes. They do dishes. And sweeping and mopping. It was amazing.

Right. We'll implement that again when we get back together in the fall. Taking out the trash. Yeah. So our students are working. And they're learning to take ownership of the building. To know that this ministry is as much about them as it is about any adult.

And so this is the way that we have gotten teenagers more involved in our church. Not just creating something that caters to an age group. And then when they graduate from high school, essentially they graduate from church.

That's the problem with the way that a lot of youth groups are structured. Right. But they are as involved in the upkeep and service of the church as any adult would be.

And it was also serving the moms that worked really hard to cook the meal. Right. And then they didn't have to do dishes or clean up after. And that was really nice.

Yes. Whoever cooked did not have to also be obligated to clean. Yes. So anyway. So that's how we do youth group. Quote unquote. Youth group. It is not the conventional American church way of doing youth group.

But I just got a card from one of our students who just graduated in May. And he said how much he appreciated it. And how much he said that he grew in his understanding of the Bible because of what we did.

That was John. And so anyway. So we see it making an impact on these kids even though this was our first year of doing it. And they were kind of our guinea pigs. They were. They were great guinea pigs though.

But they did great. And Chris and I were both teaching the class. See that's the thing is they're getting teaching from the pastor. And the elder. And another elder. Right. So this isn't just some random volunteer adult being thrown in there and like okay guys today our lesson is on this that or the other.

This is or a or you could say a youth pastor with an under degree that anyway I won't get into. I could get myself in trouble here. Yeah. One dog on too many youth pastors out there. There are some guys that do some great work.

So what are some books? What are some books? Yeah. He asked for books. Yeah. Ephesians is a good one. Philippians which comes right after Ephesians not Colossians. So those are some of the books that you could use.

I think he meant for like help. That's what I got.

That's what we're using when we do our study with teens. So all right. I mean you could take what we're doing on the podcast and just repeat that with the youth group.

Yeah. And you can even get a visual in there with the what videos. Oh hey.

Yeah. Grab a what video. And that we actually get a lot of emails. This is why I can't dog on too many youth pastors. Because we get I love you guys really. I've got a a my youth pastor that I still keep in touch with.

He didn't even go to seminary. And yet was a huge influence on me and my Bible reading. So that's I'm just dogging on the typical you know youth pastor that the stereotype we'll put it that way. Right.

So anyway. But what was I saying? I'm lost now. Oh the videos. Right. So youth pastors they'll email us and say how much they use the videos and how much they've been beneficial to their teens to help them understand the text.

So that's a great extension of the ministry. And I appreciate that very much hearing from the youth pastors that have used what videos in their youth groups. Okay. This next question comes from Isaiah.

Which is a great Bible name. Greetings from Texas. I have two questions for you if you'll do them. Number one. In regards to denying yourself taking up your cross and following Jesus. Also serving God with all your heart soul and strength.

Would you say that hobbies TV shows and other activities that someone would enjoy would be considered sin? I understand that we shouldn't idolize these things and we shouldn't neglect our responsibilities to God family slash church and others.

But is it wrong to do those things? So is it wrong to have hobbies watch TV and movies? It can be. It can. You can make an idol of it. Easily. And fill yourself up with things that are definitely not honoring to God.

Very easy to do if you don't heed the instruction that's given in Philippians 4 that whatever is praiseworthy think about these things. Whatever gives praise and glory to God that's what we should be investing ourselves in.

We waste a lot of time watching stupid movies and TV shows and playing dumb video games. Yeah. Guilty. Guilty. I wasn't saying we like in you and I we. No I am. I am definitely guilty. But you're going to own that.

I will. I will. So you can yeah you can definitely invest yourself in things that are not healthy not spiritually healthy. But as far as hobbies go whatever you do do it all to the glory of God. Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do.

Right. Do it to his glory. And know according to the instruction given in Colossians 3 that you work first for God before you work for any man. So in all things that you do let it be to God's glory. If you are doing something that in your heart you are convicted is not to the glory of God then stop doing it.

Right. Or fill your time up with something that you would consider to be more God glorifying. But we can watch TV, catch up on news, find out what's going on in current events, watch good movies even just for entertainment.

Like if you get so involved in a show or a book even that you're constantly thinking about that instead of what you should be doing whenever you're not able to be there. Well that's true.

Like I can't wait until I get my stuff done so I can go watch the next episode of that show. Yes. I did that recently actually. I binge watched a certain show and you know which one it is. I finished it in about 30 hours or something like that.

Over a span of 30 hours. And so it was not 30 consecutive hours. I slept in between. We should clarify that. Right. Because you are known to stay up. And I don't mention what kinds of movies and shows that I watch intentionally because I don't want to cause anybody to stumble.

There's nothing about the show that I consider to be ungodly. But there might be people who are a little bit more sensitive to that. And in my position as a pastor I could cause somebody to watch something that would maybe affect their mind in a way that it doesn't affect me.

Right. And so that's why I don't share the stuff that I, well the stuff that I'm listening to is just classical music. There's nothing that I, it's all instrumental anyway. But the stuff that I'm watching either TV or movie wise because I don't want to cause someone else to stumble.

But anyway, so in response to your question Isaiah there's certainly a way that you can make those things an idol but it is not somehow improper or ungodly to have hobbies. You know I consider carpentry a hobby.

That can be a hobby. And you can do that to the glory of God. I remember a quote that's often attributed to Martin Luther but I've also read that nobody knows for sure where the quote came from. But Martin Luther once said that a Christian shoemaker does not make Christian shoes by adding little crosses to them.

He is a Christian shoemaker by making good shoes and doing that to the glory of God. Even the unattributed quote I just butchered. But I think you get, I think you get the gist of that. Whatever it is that you do, do it to God's glory.

Whether that be in your hobbies or the job that you've been called to do. Right. All right, second part of the question. I think this is the one that you could help with. He says, my wife shared with a co-worker and then they went into a long conversation regarding apologetics.

I'm guessing shared the gospel with a co-worker. It's not mentioned there in his email. But shared the gospel with a co-worker. Then they went into a long conversation regarding apologetics. She didn't feel prepared to defend the faith to the extent that her co-worker wanted.

Nor was she satisfied with the conversation. She now has been discouraged to share and is completely avoiding sharing with others and feels disconnected from the faith. How can I encourage her to focus on the truths about God and not go based off of feelings or one conversation?

Much advice is needed. What would you say?

Oh, that's tough. Can you relate? I can. All right. I can. Just encourage her to, and sit down and read with her and read the Bible on different passages that would be helpful in where she struggles. Because it's just the lack of knowledge.

And whenever you put yourself out there, you just get You always feel vulnerable. Yes, I do. Like me right now, but not the situation by any means.

Right now, Becky relates to this because she's never done this before. Right. And so she's sitting at another microphone recording this podcast and going, I'm never doing this again.

Totally, you know. No, I'm just kidding. So just, I would recommend be highly encouraging. And I'm sure you are from the sounds of the question. And just get out your Bible and help her study those questions that she wasn't able to answer.

And sometimes you just get so mad at yourself that sometimes you do know the answer. And it's just so simple.

And maybe it didn't come to your mind at the time. But you walk away from it going, oh, if I'd only said this. Yes.

And then it's like, you know, if I'm going to butcher it again, it's And then also understand that, or help her understand, you're not starting and finishing this all. That's up to God. You're just there to do little bits and pieces.

And maybe she did strike the match for this coworker and think that Plant a seed. Yeah, plant a seed kind of thing. And have them go investigate.

So you're not sealing the deal in that conversation. Oh, no. Let it lead to another conversation. Right. Right. Because there's plenty of things that are going to be said there that you have to let ruminate.

Right. Or dwell within the heart. And sometimes it just gets heated. You need to cool off. Yeah, right. Somebody gets very upset at what you're saying. And it takes some discernment to kind of step back and go, I can see this is making you very upset.

So why don't we just cool it for now? We'll come back and talk about it again later. Especially when you're talking about a work environment. Because it sounds like she shared something with a coworker.

You got a job to do. Right. You can't be expected to sit there and have a full apologetic debate when there's work that needs to be done. So there's a time and a place. There's a certain environment in which these conversations need to be had.

And so the next time they're gathered in the break room around the lunch table, whatever the scenario might be, to bring it up again and say, did you have any questions about the last conversation that we had?

That's good. And in fact, the wife could even come back and say, you know, I was thinking about what we were talking about last time. And this this came to mind. Right. And then share the thought that she had when she walked away from the conversation going, man, I wish I would have said this.

Right. Because that actually serves as a good icebreaker to come back into the conversation again.

Right. Which is also another upheaval because I mean, reintroducing a subject that I just totally botched and I'm like, oh, forget it. At least it's over. I never have to do it again. Nope. You probably have to do it again.

And, you know, don't don't think that because you're not as knowledgeable to be able to do a podcast where you're opening up the Bible and you're going through the text and you're explaining to people what this means.

You don't have that ability. Don't think that that means that a person who does have that ability is perfect whenever they share the gospel. Right. I'm kind of rambling. But this past week, we had our big community get together, get together, our big community festival.

It's called Sundown Salute. That happens here in Junction City. And we had some tracks printed up and we went into the festival and handed out tracks, probably did about 600 tracks over the course of Sunday and Monday, I believe.

Yeah. And there were some people who just said thank you and took a track. But there were other people that stopped and talked. And I can say to you that every conversation that I had, I walked away from going, man, I wish I would have said this.

So just because I teach it doesn't mean that I'm always quick on my feet. The more you do it, the better you will get at it. In hindsight, so it's 2020. Exactly. Right. As long as you learn from it. As this is from my debate coach in college, you'll the best argument you'll come up with is in the van ride home.

Yes. So, amen. That's the best stuff that you're going to come up with. Man, I wish I would have said this to this person is always going to be when you walk away from the conversation. That's probably going to be every time.

Yeah. Don't get discouraged by it. The more you do it, the better you will get at it. Even before we went into Sundown Salute and we're handing out tracks, we had some people from within our church going, you know, could we do some classes in advance?

And I said, really, the best way you're going to learn is just to get out there and do it. Jump in and fail and and make mistakes and then go back to your Bible and then go back to the crowd again. And the more you do that, the better you will get at it.

Right. And I would just encourage her to walk and walk her through that. Because obviously she's stumbled enough that she, you know, is feeling very discouraged.

So you notice a theme to Becky's advice, Isaiah, is that help her, lead her. Yes. She's looking right at me when she says that. Well, I am talking to you, too. That's right. So Becky and I do we do Bible study every night and well, not every night, five nights a week.

For sure we don't do Saturday night because I'm usually sermon prepping then. Yes. But so and I'm helping my wife and that is my duty as her husband to be the spiritual head of my household. So, Isaiah, provide the encouragement for her that you can and walk her through the text, go through it together, pray together, because that will probably be one of the biggest confidence builders for her is to know that she's got her partner right there by her side, praying for her so that when the next opportunity arises, she's got a prayer partner off to the side, wherever you are, praying for her to have strength.

This is what the Apostle Paul requested of the Ephesians in Ephesians, chapter six, when he said, pray that I would declare the gospel with boldness. And so, Isaiah, you're going to be that partner with your wife in praying for her courage to share the gospel with a coworker.

Right. And I would encourage you also to find out exactly why she's discouraged, because it could be something that you're not thinking about. Is she upset with herself? Is she discouraged because she didn't know?

Is she discouraged because of the reaction?

Verse 19 is where Paul says, pray also for me that the words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak.

And so not only filling yourself up with the word of God, which is very important, but also committing yourself in prayer and interceding for your partner in prayer.

And then you'll know how to pray for her when you know what her struggle is. Right. There you go. So there we go.

I knew it would come around eventually. There we go. So we combine both answers together. Well, those are our questions. We've had a half an hour program here. You made it all the way through. I did. You feel pretty good?

Sure. Will you do it again? Maybe. Well, why don't we close in prayer? Sounds great. All right. Lord God, we thank you for this opportunity for husband and wife to get together and mutually encourage others with the questions that they have about sharing the gospel, about what the scriptures have to say, about having confidence in what the word of God says.

And may our hearts be filled up with your word. So with boldness, we may go and declare it. Give us a passion for people, that we may proclaim your name, that the lost may hear and know that God so loved the world that he gave his son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

And we pray these things in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

This is When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. There are lots of great Bible teaching programs on the web, and we thank you for selecting ours. But this is no replacement for regular fellowship with a church family.

Find a good gospel teaching Christ-centered church to worship with this weekend and join us again Monday for more Bible study, When We Understand the Text. Chick. Chick. I think we're on. Do I have to talk that close to it?

We're on and we're live. Check, check, check. Check. All right. Go ahead. What was I going to say again? Hey, this is When We Understand the Text with Becky. Good job. Only kidding. Don't use that.