Just follow the Recipe!

2 Timothy 3:14-17

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,  and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

             Working in the Church I can see that so many of us can relate to Paul’s description of Timothy.  My son’s first real song he sang was “Jesus Loves Me”.  He liked it so much he would walk up to people and say the “THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO!” They would ask him what the bible told him? I taught him to say, “Obey my mommy and daddy.”  Everyone was amazed at his wisdom.  Most of us in the church probably have similar stories about our kids and/ or can say the same thing about how we were raised.

            As I read this passage I am caught up with the simplicity of God’s plan.  Then I think about the complexity of ministry in the church.  All the things we do to build up and eventually get to the simple truth of learning God’s word, applying it to our lives, and teaching to others.  This week I was watching a youth promotional video, the youth in the video say, “I loved this conference because I could see that Christians can really have fun!”  This is a common way youth events and many other church events are promoted.  But, are all the complexities, the lights, music, and entertainment what it takes to convey God's simple truth?

            The Celebrity Chef, Emeril Lagasse’s catch phrase, “Bam! Kick it up a notch!” was used frequently to explain how he made simple recipes mouthwatering good.  We see this same idea applied just as freely to how we live out our Christian faith and shape our ministries.  Bam! We take God's simple truth wrap it in amazing new ingredients and now we have finally made God fun.  Like God actually needs us to help him rewrite his plan for humanity.  We traded the amazing message that the God, who made the universe, loves us and went to great lengths to win us back… with a flashy plan to make Christianity fun, and filled with counterfeit joy.   We trade cheep fun for the life changing message of Christ.

            I have had tons of “Christian fun” as Youth Pastor, I saw the best concerts, and I love whitewater rafting, it is about my favorite water sport.  But, in reality nothing is better than talking to a High School friend who gave his live to Christ as a teen and the joy of seeing God breathe new life into him.  Or speaking to a former student, who is trying to figure out how he can use his gifts and talents to reach homeless people! He is now teaching me!  We may laugh about the time he shot me in the back with a paintball, but the really joy that surrounds our relationship is result of God’s word thoroughly equipping him for every good work.

            As we look at our upcoming ministries this fall I wonder, what if we just focused on allowing God's word to breathe in us and equip us?  What would God call you to do this year?  Who has God laid on your heart to share his amazing message with?  What truths have you know from Childhood that God want to use to shape your life?
 Just following the Recipe sometime is all the “Bam!” we need!