What do young people believe?  What is the difference between those young people who continue to be a part of a Christian congregation and those who leave the church when they become adult? Who has the greatest influence on the faith of children and adolescents? What can parents and other church members do to nurture Christian faith in young people ?

These are just some of the questions that are addressed in the interview entitled Almost Christian? A Conversation About Adolescents and Christianity .

I want to encourage every person in the congregation to take 45 minutes and listen to Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary interview Kenda Creasy Dean, professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary on the subject of young people in the Christian faith. I guarantee that you’ll learn a lot about what our young  people think about God, Jesus, and the Church. It’s also interesting to see what it’s like when a conservative Southern Baptist like Albert Mohler, and a liberal United Methodist like Kenda Creasy Dean find themselves in almost complete agreement on what is wrong with youth ministry and what churches can do in order to reach children and adolescents with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You can find the the interview in MP3 format HERE.

You can find a transcript of the podcast HERE.

Coupon code: AUG2010

I journey forth rejoicing
From this dark vale of tears,
To heavenly joy and freedom,
From earthly bonds and fears;
Where Christ our Lord shall gather
All His redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!

Why thus so sadly weeping,
Beloved ones of my heart?
The Lord is good and gracious,
Though now He bids us part.
Oft have we met in gladness.
And we shall meet again,
All sorrow left behind us.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!

I go to see His glory,
Whom we have loved below:
I go, the blessed angels,
The holy saints to know.
Our lovely ones departed,
I go to find again,
And wait for you to join us.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!

I hear the Saviour calling,
The joyful hour has come:
The angel guards are ready
To guide me to our home,
Where Christ our Lord shall gather
All His redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit.
Goodnight, goodnight till then!

These are both excellent books that everyone from Peace Lutheran should read..or listen to…….

Use the coupon code MAR2010 for Bonhoeffer, and the code MAR2010B for Piper. Go here for more details.

From the Christian audiobook site:

Sin, forgiveness, grace…not only do these themes abound in Scripture, but also in one of the most important Western novels ever penned. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky has long been viewed as one of the best novels in world literature and now it’s the free download for December, only from christianaudio.

The book probes the possible roles of four brothers in the unresolved murder of their father, Fyodor Karamazov. At the same time, it carefully explores the personalities and inclinations of the brothers whom together represent the full spectrum of human nature-the continuum of faith and doubt.
This abridged version maintains the Christian themes and is expertly narrated by the widely-recognized Simon Vance. His presentations of all the characters invite you into the story and challenge the listener to thoughtful reflection.

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) writes with a passion and keen insight of biblical grace like no other modern novelist. His works Crime and Punishment and The Idiot testify to his great skill. The Brothers Karamazov has been hailed by readers for over a century as one of the finest achievements in all of western literature.
Add the download format of The Brothers Karamazov to your cart and enter the coupon code DEC2009 when prompted during checkout.

Discount Price for November: $0.00
Download List Price: $16.98
Coupon Code: DEC2009

Click HERE to go to the site

Lectionary Texts

Additional references used in sermon

Mark Yankoski’s website – Under the Overpass

The following is from Christians audio:

We are truly excited about this month’s FREE audiobook offer. This is one of the most important titles offered since the launch of our Free Audiobook program several years ago. Not For Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade and How We can Fight It, by David Batstone, is a powerful book that is sure to touch your heart and motivate you to action.

The book originated from Batstone’s encounter with modern-day slaves in his hometown of San Francisco. A local restaurant he frequented for several years was exposed as a trafficking ring for children from India. This shocking incident sent him on a search, domestically and abroad, to get to the bottom of the issue.

Maybe you didn’t know: 27 million people are enslaved today; 800,000 people are trafficked (bought & sold) across international borders each year; 50% of these victims are children; 4 of 5 are female; and 150,000 slaves are in our own backyards!

You can learn more by joining The Underground, an email list of the Not For Sale Campaign, a movement of regular people who have joined together to end slavery in our lifetime. This campaign was inspired by the book Not for Sale.
christianaudio also wants to thank to all who made this possible: The publisher – Harper One; the author: David Batstone (who generously donated the book for download); and the many partners who have helped to promote the offer.
We hope you enjoy and share this important resource, February’s Free Audiobook of the Month: Not for Sale!

Add the download format of Not for Sale to your cart (HERE) and then enter the coupon code FEB2009 when prompted during checkout.

christianaudio.com
Listen Enjoy Think Grow

This sermon is from the 10:30 AM service. I made major changes to the sermon between services so I encourage those who attended the 8 AM service to listen to this one. Given that I made changes and didn’t have much time to practice the sermon you will notice that it is a little rough around the edges..Mea culpa.

Lectionary Texts
Psalm 62
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20

Additional texts and references used in sermon
Psalm 146
Mark 10:28-31
1 Corinthians 1:11-13

Oprah Show Glows for Obama: ‘The Light of the New Age Is Here’
SEC reportedly digging into Steve Jobs’ health disclosures
Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance
Further evidence that Tony Romo really is a swell fella
Piper’s Number One Danger is Himself

Podcast:

Questions
How much fear and anxiety have you experienced in recent months?

In what ways has your experience of fear and anxiety been tied to the current political and economic situation? How satisfied are you with the current leaders in our world, nation, and community? How much do you yearn for powerful and effective leaders?

What issues were forefront in your mind in the recent presidential election?  How confident were you that either one of the candidates had what it took to lead this country?  When you think about the candidates -  what personal characteristics of stuck out for you and which influenced your vote the most?

Under what circumstances do you find yourself most likely to support authority figures? Under what circumstances do you find yourself most likely to rebel against authority figures?

Read though Revelation 1:1-22  and pay attention to the images of Jesus Christ- which ones do you find most challenging? Confusing? Comforting?

A priest is one who called offer sacrifices at the altar, and who acted as mediator between men and God. The priests taught the people of Israel about  sin, forgiveness and worship. Jesus was the true and better priest, indeed he is our great high priest who offered himself up as the perfect sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 4:12-16). What do you think about the fact that Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests? Does the kingship of Christ  and the fact that he has made you a priest in God’s Kingdom make you less fearful and more confident? Why or why not?

How will you exercise your priesthood this week? In what ways can your service, worship, prayers, and praise of God draw others to acknowledge God’s greatness and and mercy?

Podcast:

You can access the summary of the lecture HERE, download the entire lecture in MP3 format HERE, or read a brief interview of Melrose HERE.

Melrose, who led Toro from near-bankruptcy in 1981 to a 30-fold increase in the company’s share price and a doubled price-to-earnings ratio when he retired in 2006, centered his remarks around a faith-based vision for servant leadership grows out of his relationship to Jesus Christ and which that puts people first. Matthew 20:20-28