Categories
Mentoring

Being WITH the Next Generation

How do we reach and keep the next generation for Christ? Biblical relational discipleship in the form of discipleship groups is essential. For more on this, read my two new books! Allowing the next generation to follow Christ (and to see what following Christ looks like) with other like-minded students pursuing the Savior cannot be underestimated. Teaching, fellowship, and community were always important to Jesus. But Jesus went beyond formal mentoring when making disciples. In other words, Jesus did not say, “Guys, I’ll meet you at the coffee shop this Friday, talk Scripture and life, and then see you again next Friday.”

Now, there is nothing wrong with meeting the next generation at Starbucks every Friday to study how the Bible meets life. In fact, meeting the next generation at third places such as Starbucks have become standard procedure. ‘Nones’ (the religiously unaffiliated) often opt not to enter through the front doors of a church until they feel comfortable doing so. We could consider ‘nones’ in the coffee shop Bible study as pre-disciples. Jesus didn’t call the pre-disciple fishermen to follow him at church, but rather  when they were mending their nets. Do you think these fishermen with the foul mouth of a sailor would have felt comfortable going to church? Now, I know Scripture doesn’t say these men cussed, but men who were out on the open sea two-thousand years ago are the same as men out on the open sea today. I can only imagine the words Peter would have used.

Imagine yourself before you met Christ. I’m sure you felt the same way, that church people would look down on you because you didn’t measure up. To reach the next generation for Christ, we must begin by placing ourselves in their shoes and remembering where we came from. All too often, those who have followed Christ for many years or who have been indoctrinated into the church begin to adopt a “holier than thou” attitude. But once our hearts have been corrected, we can begin to follow the ways of the Master. How did Jesus go beyond formal mentoring with the Twelve? He informally mentored them! He walked with his disciples, living life and applying truth to their world daily. He took everyday life as a practical means of teaching truth. And He expects his followers (that’s you and me) to do the same with others. Yes, we need a mentor, but we also need to be mentoring others.[1] Think Titus 2 where you see older men mentoring younger men and older women mentoring younger women. The next generation desperately seeks mentors to show them how to live for Jesus in the real world. The next generation doesn’t need another Bible study as much as they need to see older men and women living out Bible truths in front of them.

The greatest impact a leader can make is not in the masses to whom he speaks but in the few he mentors. Jesus poured himself into three men: Peter, James, and John. When you’re living life, there are no fronts. People see you for who you are. What are some normal or natural activities that you could begin to bring the next generation along with you on: Running errands, Taking a walk or drive, Cleaning your office, Going to the grocery store, Washing clothes, Preparing dinner, Working on a project, Doing yard work. Informal mentoring is not another item on the to-do list. It’s bringing others along with you for the ride and talking life and godliness with them as you go. Life-on-life discipleship is the superior model for intentionally making disciples. Just remember the mentoring relationship is not about the mentor, but rather Christ. The results speak for themselves: “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

[1] Italicized sentences come from the book With: A Practical Guide for Mentoring and Intentional Disciple Making

Categories
Creativity

Taking a Byte out of Apple

Apple recently became the world’s first trillion-dollar company. Apple is a company which has designed products that have completely altered our world. There is the real world and there is the virtual world and the two worlds have increasingly become one. For instance, now at the click of a smart phone, you can order full-course meals sent to your house rather than taking a visit to the local grocery store to buy an assortment of items you will have to cook. We used to hear the phrase, “what is the world coming to?” I think we have a better clue.

Not all the change has been good. I recently had a dream where God’s hand was in a wrestling match with man’s hand to let go of his phone. It’s as if man will give God anything, but not his phone. When this happens, which would you say has become god to man? Some people don’t think God ever gets jealous or angry, but they obviously have not read the numerous scriptures that speak to God’s jealousy or the account of Jesus flipping over the tables in the temple and driving out the money changers with a whip (Matthew 21:12–17). God got in a wrestling match with Jacob and Jacob walked away with a dislocated hip (Genesis 32:22–32).

The iPhone hasn’t caught God off guard. It’s not like God didn’t see it coming. I don’t believe God is anti-phone either. But, all things must be put in their proper place. In the creation account, Adam sins by taking a bite out of the forbidden fruit. Now, many in our modern world immediately show this fruit to be an apple, however scripture does not specify. But, I do think it would be fair to say today that people are taking a byte out of Apple. Craig Detwiler quotes Craig Watkins by saying thanks to the iPhone, “we have evolved from a culture of instant gratification to one of constant gratification” and then expands,

“The iPhone is always on, always wired, always with us. It wakes us up, putting a song in our hearts. It delivers text messages and email from friends and family throughout the day. It accompanies us when we travel, offering directions and restaurant recommendations. It can almost feed us—or at least get food delivered to our door. We check in with it at night before we close our eyes. The iPhone orders our lives in comparable ways to praying the hours in ancient church. There is the constant temptation to relate to the iPhone rather than our world. It is a convenient filter for screening calls, keeping colleagues at a manageable distance. It provides a safe place to hide when we’re anxious in a crowd. We avoid awkward moments by fading into our phone. It prompts us to look down rather than up, to ask Siri for answers rather than our friends, our parents, or our God. The iPhone is our most valuable possession and our closest companion. It records our lives, broadcasts our photos and thoughts, and serves as our traveling studio and electronic megaphone. It lives up to its hype (iGods, p. 65).”

Rather than praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), are we on our phones without ceasing? If God asked you to unplug for a day, could you do it? I think God does ask us to unplug quite often, but I wonder if we hear him through all the notification alerts, bells, and whistles coming from our phone? Maybe God is calling you at times to enjoy life, walk outdoors, or visit loved ones without a phone in hand. Is it possible? In a world where the two worlds have become one, maybe not. But if you can still hear God’s voice, see God active in nature, and experience a world outside of your phone, it is! Many studies have been done and research has concluded that those who drop their phone for a day or two feel revitalized and refreshed. Though there is relief in unplugging for a day, I think the real difference comes with those who plug into God during that same time span. We used to call this Sabbath or a Sabbath day of rest.   

Give Steve Jobs his due credit. He created a phone and a computer that have become a religion unto themselves. Just be careful not to worship the creation over the Creator or you may be feeling a bit of tension. God disciplines those he loves (Hebrews 12:6). I’m just trying to spare you the trouble of having to walk away with a limp.

Categories
Leadership Legacy

Faith, Family, and Football

Fall is one of my favorite seasons of the year. Not only do the temperatures drop, but college football and hunting seasons begin! You can always tell Fall is around the corner when the NFL Hall of Fame game comes on. Now, the NFL itself is in a mess.  I’m not a big fan, but one thing the NFL always gets right is its Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I always enjoy watching speeches from legendary players because the speeches are unfiltered!

The speeches are always heartfelt and awe-inspiring because most of the players come from single-mother homes and poverty-stricken areas. Many of these players have never met their dad and should have just been another statistic. But, they overcame! Jesus Christ, God, came through for them and their families through all the trials and tribulations. A common word spoken among the Hall of Famers’ was, “Football is what I do, not who I am.” Football was a way out, a job, something fun to do, but the sport didn’t define the man. “Faith, Family, and Football in that order.” Through all the fame and fortune, these players didn’t forget where they came from. They stay humbled and their speeches are real!

I love good speeches. They motivate me. I’ve heard many good speeches in my lifetime and I have my favorites. But, ranking right up there with the best of them is now Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis Hall of Fame speech! If you have not heard Ray’s speech, I would challenge you to listen! Ray has been a perennial leader on and off the football field for many years. But, hearing his life story and how he arrived at this point is amazing!

What I love about Ray’s speech, besides his life story, is how he uses his platform to inspire the next generation. Rather than talk about all his accolades and accomplishments, Ray tells his audience (which includes you and me) to overcome the ills of today by loving and by serving. Ray takes a page from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s playbook and uses his platform to talk about loving people. Reminds me of Jesus. Want to stop school shootings? The suggestion is to start loving your neighbor. I think I’ve heard that line before!

Rather than quote the whole speech, why don’t you listen to it yourself! Just click on “Watch on YouTube” after you see the message pop up that the NFL has blocked it on this site.

Categories
Great Commission Next Generation Ministry

Exciting Announcement!

I am thrilled to announce the release of 2 new books!

In Next Generation Ministry and Discipleship, you will learn

-What next generation ministry is and how it differs from traditional children, youth, and family ministry.

-What a M.A.P. is and how it works.

-What a M.A.P.’s Journal is and how you can get it.

-What a Discipleship Group (D-group) is and how to have a meeting.

-How parents and leaders can disciple the next generation for real-life.

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The M.A.P.’s Journal is designed for students to use in D-groups.

Currently, you may only purchase these books in print. Click on the title link to order from Amazon.

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Students are returning to school now! Students are also returning to church. Leaders, as you launch your fall groups and studies, remember The M.A.P.’s Journal. This is the perfect resource for scripture memorization, spiritual development, and developing student leaders. I would have loved to offer M.A.P.’s for less than $9.99, but if I did, I wouldn’t be making anything. For those of you who don’t know, most authors don’t make much from their books. I have done M.A.P.’s as a service to you and not to make money. Look at it this way: D-groups are smaller than life groups, so you won’t have to order as many!

For those who are not familiar with the new model of student ministry called Next Generation Ministry, I would highly encourage you to buy Next Generation Ministry and Discipleship. Contrary to what many churches advertise on job boards, etc., next generation ministry is not the same as family ministry. And it is not your traditional children’s or youth ministry. Buying the book also brings you an extra benefit in that you will learn about practical discipleship, an area I think too many ministry leaders are ignoring. The M.A.P.’s Journal is also explained and only in Next Generation Ministry and Discipleship can D-group leaders get the Scripture passage that goes along with the M.A.P.’s weekly Scripture verse.

The M.A.P.’s Journal is the companion book to Next Generation Ministry and Discipleship.

I hope both books will benefit you and your ministry. Even more, I hope both books will benefit the Kingdom. Praise Jesus!

Categories
Parenting Teaching

For History’s Sake

This past Sunday, my church celebrated Independence Day. I was asked before service if I could lead the congregation in the pledge of allegiance. I said yes and then two funny things ensued. First, I asked the church to place their hearts over their chests (your heart should already be in your chest). Now, everyone knows I should have said “hand over your heart,” but the more I think about it, I wonder if I wasn’t right after all. If you’re not going to say the pledge from your heart, why say it all. Secondly, I was late in saying the word “indivisible.” You might as well say I made the word invisible.

In our postmodern society, the next generation struggles with saying the pledge of allegiance, singing the national anthem, etc. In some ways, our nation’s symbols and values are becoming invisible. It’s not the next generation’s fault. What passes for being taught as history in some schools is not history at all. Our very constitution is being rewritten and revised to say something it never originally intended. This is why the next Supreme Court justice selection is such a big deal. We need Judges in office who will interpret the Constitution as it was written, not the way they want it to be said.

But we have got to do far more than select the right judges and teach American history to our children. We must teach the next generation biblical and church history as well! What is America after all without the Bible and our Christian heritage? Help them discover God! Tell them the stories of creation, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, the judges, kings, and the prophets. Tell them about the tabernacle, the temple, and Bible geography. Tell them about Jesus’ miracles, teachings, crucifixion, resurrection, and Pentecost. Tell them about the birth of the Church, missionary journeys of Paul, and the Revelation. Introduce them to the religious practices of Christians, Christian symbols, and the Christian calendar. Walk them through the time line of the history of the Church . . . destruction of the temple, fall of the Roman empire, the Crusades, the early reformers, the Reformation, the age of reason, and mass evangelists (many have never heard the name of Billy Graham). Talk to them about Christian missions and the Apostles’ Creed. Introduce them to Christian works of art, architecture, paintings, and music. Help them understand that science and the Christian faith are not enemies.

This takes time, but there are resources available to help you in the task. I recommend the Parent/Teacher Handbook series (4 volumes) by Dr. Edward Buchanan.

Have we all but forgotten the pledge to the Christian flag? Teach this to your children as well. There are many in our nation who would like to turn our red, white, and blue flag into a rainbow-colored flag. We must not. We cannot forget who we are, where we come from, and the price paid to get us where we are. American blood and the blood of Christ are what paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today. History is after all His Story! Take time to study history and make time to share His Story with those you love.

Categories
Parenting

Where the Ten Commandments turn

Father’s Day has come and gone this year, but I learned something this past Father’s Day that I did not know. Take a look at the Ten Commandments below:

  1. You shall have no other gods before Me
  2. You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it
  3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God
  4. You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy
  5. Respect your father and mother
  6. You must not murder
  7. You must not commit adultery
  8. You must not steal
  9. You must not give false evidence against your neighbor
  10. You must not be envious of your neighbor’s goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.

It is commonly known that the first four commands relate to man’s vertical relationship with God and the last six commands relate to man’s horizontal relationship with his fellow man. Of course, all commandments relate to obedience and to loving God, but nonetheless, a clear distinction can be observed in the commandments between loving God and loving man. I have heard that Billy Graham used to read five Psalm’s a day so he could better love God and one Proverb a day so he could better love man. There is a reason Psalm and Proverbs are in the middle of the Bible.

Likewise, there’s a reason the fifth commandment is in the middle of the Ten Commandments. The fifth commandment is the hinge or the pivot point where the commandments turn. It is in some ways a line of demarcation, but the commandments remain connected. For the next generation must be raised in the admonition of the Lord to love God and parents must likewise teach their sons and daughters how to treat their fellow man. Take parents or guardians who love the Lord out of the equation, and following the commandments become nearly impossible for a child’s natural bent is not toward following God.

Of course, the truth is following the commandments is impossible for any person of any age. I would agree that if you have obeyed the first commandment, you have obeyed all of the commandments. The problem is no one has been good enough to even obey the first commandment. The Bible says if you’ve broken one commandment, you’ve broken them all. The whole point of the Law was to point man toward his recognition for his need of a Savior. Only Christ fulfilled the whole Law thus only Christ can save.

But, God has given parents the spiritual responsibility of being the primary disciplemakers of their children. Children learn about holiness through the Ten Commandments and children learn that to love God is to obey him and to obey God is to love him.

From the next generation’s point of view, the key to unlocking the Ten Commandments may just be found in the simple instruction coming from those who have sovereignly been placed over them.

Categories
Uncategorized

You’ve got to stand for something . . .

We’re now only three days away from the beautiful game of soccer being played on the world’s biggest stage—the World Cup! A lifelong U.S. soccer fan, I was so mad when Uncle Sam’s team didn’t qualify. But now, I’m not so disappointed. Why? It’s not because the World Cup is almost here and the US team would have been overshadowed anyways by more prominent soccer powers such as Italy, France, Brazil, Spain, etc. It’s because I was watching the US men’s team play this past Saturday wearing rainbow-colored numbers on the back of their jersey. You guessed it. It’s gay pride month and our national team was showing their pride.

Now, I don’t have a problem with a gay player playing on the US national team. But, I do have a problem with our national team promoting such a lifestyle. As the political debates have heated up over the past couple of years, so has every other arena of life. Politics have spilled over into the sports world and ESPN, the NFL, and the NBA’s true colors have come out. As a lifelong sports fan, this has been upsetting for me. Why? Because sports has no business being in politics.

With the Supreme Court recently allowing states to legalize sports gambling, sports will become increasingly tainted. In the future, sports as clean, innocent, pure fun could itself become a pastime. Leave it to man to take a good thing and ultimately destroy it. We’ve been doing it since the beginning of time when Adam first sinned in the garden. The fall of man has affected everything, including sports.

I first noticed pride month being celebrated by the United States Soccer Federation last year in the month of June when the women’s national team was forced to wear the rainbow. Thankfully, a player by the name of Jaelene Hinkle stood up for her beliefs and quit the team. Ironically, Hinkle’s club team was the North Carolina Courage. Hinkle posted on her Instagram account a picture of a white cross in a red background and said,
LikeComment

798 likes

  • jaelenehinkleJesus didn’t come to save those who already believed in Him. He came so that the lost, rejected, and abandoned men and women would find Him and believe.
    I believe with every fiber in my body that what was written 2,000 years ago in the Bible is undoubtedly true. It’s not a fictional book. It’s not a pick and choose what you want to believe. You either believe it, or you don’t. This world may change, but Christ and His Word NEVER will.
    My heart is that as Christians we don’t begin to throw a tantrum over what has been brought into law today, but we become that much more loving. That through our love, the lost, rejected, and abandoned find Christ.
    The rainbow was a convent made between God and all his creation that never again would the world be flooded as it was when He destroyed the world during Noah’s time. It’s a constant reminder that no matter how corrupt this world becomes, He will never leave us or forsake us. Thank you Lord for your amazing grace, even during times of trial and confusion.
    Love won over 2,000 years ago when the greatest sacrifice of all time was made for ALL mankind. ❤💜💛💚💙

Praise God for Hinkle’s courage! Can you imagine playing soccer your entire life so you could make the national team only to have to quit because your “free” nation forces you to endorse values that go against your faith and heritage?

Jesus promised Christ-followers they would be persecuted because the student is not above the master. I write this post to inspire you to share Hinkle’s story, but also to share with your students the reality of being a Christian in the USA. We need to expect persecution, but we also need to stand up for Jesus when it comes our way. We need to be grace-filled and gracious in facing opposition. I think Hinkle does this in her post. She doesn’t call names. She just lifts up the Name that is above every other name.

I won’t go as far to say that the United States failure to make the World Cup this year is a sign of God’s judgment on the USSF. But maybe there is a message for all of us in this: You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. Let’s be courageous and stand up for Jesus!

Categories
Mentoring

Just skating along?

For those old enough to remember a time before the advent of smart phones, people used to play games on a board, not a screen or app. Some of my favorite childhood board games included Monopoly, Clue, Trivial Pursuit, Battleship, Stratego, Connect Four, and LIFE.

“Times have changed, however. In 2005, Milton Bradley produced a new edition of LIFE, and this particular version carried the subtitle Twists and Turns. The game board no longer consists of a linear movement from young adulthood to retirement with transitional events sequenced in predetermined fashion. Instead, the LIFE game board now consists of four loops, and one must determine time and time again, in no particular order, which one to enter. Earn it!, Learn it!, Live it! and Love it! are the declarative imperatives for these loops that now serve as the parameters for what it means to play the game of LIFE. Rather than nine career cards and nine salary cards in the previous game, from which a player could at best choose among three, this version has twenty-four possible career cards open to every player as well as the possibility of attaining up to seven promotions within a given profession. Interestingly, the game is no longer played with paper money. Rather, each player is now issued a Visa game card that is zipped through a ‘Lifepod’ monitor in the middle of the board, suggesting that LIFE has been restructured by a mass consumer mandate. Each player travels through the various loops of life, not as a family unit in an automobile game piece, but solo, scooting along on a skateboard unencumbered by a spouse or child. Marriage and child rearing are still optional but far less valued as integral to social personhood. The object of the game is, in case it is in doubt, is no longer a retirement spot at the end of the journey. Instead, the valuation of a player’s life is determined relative to other players by sliding one’s Visa card through the Lifepod at the end of the game and revealing how many ‘life points’ have been earned through skillfully navigating life’s loops.”[1]

Life definitely has changed and it seems board games such as LIFE have become relics from a distant age. But for those of us who have played board games, we recognize the value and relational connection that came from playing with family and friends. After the Columbine shooting in 1999, Josh McDowell wrote and dedicated a book entitled The Disconnected Generation: Saving Our Youth From Self Destruction as a gift to parents and families of Columbine. Coming out at the turn of the millennium, this book was really written twenty years before its time. Josh contrasts the generational gap between Baby Boomers and Millennials with these descriptors: Color TV – Internet, Working Fathers – Absent Fathers, At-home Mothers – Day Care, Women Employees – Women Managers, LP’s – CD’s, Rock-‘n’-Roll – Hip-hop, Long hair – Body Piercing, “Free” Sex – “Safe Sex.” Other than CD’s, I don’t see much today that wouldn’t fit in the Gen Z category.

Life for the next generation can be loopy. Skating around with headphones in, unplugged from the world and real people, life can become isolated and lonely. Students begin to accept any lifestyle and or approve of others, endorse other beliefs or claim no right to judge, personally develop preferences, and think everyone can do what is best or right for them. As in the game of LIFE, money/materials can begin to become what life is oriented around. McDowell writes, “The postmodern culture threatens to undermine our students’ faith and moral character.”

We may not get this new generation to connect to us through playing traditional board games, but we must find ways to connect. Almost twenty years of school shootings since Columbine only reinforces this point. McDowell found six connecting points to help one make this connection and I think they are just as relevant today. He says to give the next generation a sense of authenticity, security, significance, lovability, importance, and responsibility. McDowell labeled these six “A’s” as Affirmation, Acceptance, Appreciation, Affection, Availability, and Accountability.

Things have changed but some things stay the same. The world will be a much better place if we make the time to connect.

[1] Setran, David and Chris Kiesling. Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood, 57.

Categories
Education

If we are just animals . . .

The public education school system has promoted a naturalistic worldview for the past fifty years. If humans are merely byproducts of evolution, if our wills have been stripped of morals, and we are just animals, should a school shooting such as seen in Santa Fe, TX this past weekend really catch us off guard? What are the implications for thousands of students who truly believe what they are being taught? After all, wasn’t this latest shooting incident just another example of an animal pulling a trigger on other animals? For a person who believes there is no God, that we are cosmic accidents, that there is no right or wrong, in his or her own demented mind sees nothing wrong with killing dozens of innocent people.

If we Christians are honest with ourselves, as fallen creatures, we need to admit we all have mental health issues. No one thinks perfectly because no one, except for One, was born perfect. However, there is a big difference between us Christians and the shooter. We who are following Christ may have issues, but we don’t go places killing people because we have Jesus, the living hope, living inside of us. We believe in an afterworld and that our earthly actions have eternal consequences. What the shooter needed was this same hope, this Jesus. What happened this weekend was not the problem. It was the symptom. We don’t need stricter gun control or school security, though both would help at this present time. We need more Jesus! Jesus is still the answer! The gun didn’t fire on its own. Education alone wouldn’t have stopped this young man in his tracks. The person who planned out this massive evil ordeal needed someone to wrap their arms around him and tell him that Jesus loves him. He needed a man, a father, to provide him with life direction.

Quite honestly, I’m surprised we have not had hundreds of other school shootings. It’s been the prayers of many people and God’s grace that has prevented more bloodshed. The thing is none of this violence has to happen. The Perfect One has already shed his blood for our sin problem. Jesus has already died so we can be spared.

If we think the secular agenda is going to stop now that our students are being shot up, we need to think again. Greg Burt wrote an article last year detailing how new California curriculum seeks to transform how children view gender and their sexual identity. The transgender agenda is alive and well. This ideology is now being taught to students from California to Minnesota to D.C., while parents in California are not allowed to opt their kindergartener out of the indoctrination. I guess the inevitable educational outcomes will be manly animals who look like women eventually shooting up she-animals that look like men.

We need a moral compass. We need God and His Word to guide us. Why? One reason is so that we can stay alive, if that means anything to you. God gives us meaning in a world that promotes meaningless. C.S. Lewis was right when he talked about men without chests in The Abolition of Men. Without a true north, men begin to look like women or whatever else they desire to look like. My next article along these lines would have to be titled . . . “if we are just transgender animals . . .” After all, the monkey in the above pic is wearing a pink shirt and I’m not sure whether it is a boy or girl monkey.

If you give a boy a doll, he will treat it like a soldier. If you give a girl a toy truck, she’ll start to decorate it.  This type of normal gender behavior is being re-engineered by our educators into something entirely different? It is a crying shame those who want to send their children to Christian schools have to pay for it. These same parents who make sacrifices in order for their child to get a Christian education at the same time have to pay their tax dollars to support public education that goes against their family values. It is time for some legislation that would allow individuals’ tax dollars to go to their school of choice.

Categories
Hope

Heaven and Hell

We are less than thirty days away from the start of this year’s World Cup! The opening game features Russia, the host country, versus Saudia Arabia. The next generation has taken up with the sport of soccer and I believe that in time, soccer could become our country’s favorite sport (Sorry USA, you didn’t make it this year). Soccer truly is the world’s game.

I have always enjoyed the sport myself, having played in countless recreation, challenge, and college games. Now, I referee the sport and enjoy that aspect as well. Like the Olympics, the World Cup always reminds me of the gospel and God’s love for the nations! I have a shirt with a soccer ball on it that is made up of the flags of many nations. The shirt reads John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” It is always a good thing to use flag ceremonies, international games, or international news as prayer prompts to remind you to pray for the nations.

But the World Cup also reminds me of heaven. In my last post, I subtly stated that hell has become a forgotten subject. Well, heaven has too. We don’t talk as much about heaven as we should. Heaven is going to be a wonderful place! As a child, I would sing, “Heaven is a wonderful place, full of glory and grace, I want to see my Savior’s face because heaven is a wonderful place.” Jesus is heaven! Heaven will ultimately be about God, not us. His glory will shine through us, but note, the glory will be his. It has to be this way because He is God and we are not. He is the Creator. We are the created. He sent his Son to die for us. We just received the gift. Events like the World Cup are a great time to share God’s love with those who are different than you. When you’re talking soccer with someone, why not sneak in some talk on heaven and how one can go there.

Revelation 7:9­–10: 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

Edward Donnely says, “Throughout eternity, we will have the joy of meeting millions of brothers and sisters of whose existence we had previous been unaware. The multitude is ‘of all nations, tribes, peoples and tougues’ . . .  We will encounter Christians from every century, nationality, and culture. All types of personality will be present. Every kind of experience will be represented. Every believer will tell his or her own story of God’s mercy – each one unique. There will be no monotony . . . There will be no quarrels or squabbles. Theological disputes will have been resolved and personal disagreements will be impossible. There will be no denominations, misunderstandings, ignorance, or pride . . . there will be no cantankerous family members in heaven, for all believers will be holy and admirable. Their personalities will be radiant with Christ-like beauty. To love such beings will be a joy, not a duty.”

Don’t you want to go there? Where the lion lies down with the lamb? Where heaven becomes earth and where even our natural bodies are raised into a better body? I do!

I don’t think we will play soccer 24/7 in heaven. We will need time to come before the Lamb and praise Him too. But, I do think some of us will play soccer!

When I played college soccer, my team played against the NAIA national champions. We only lost 13-1. But what I remember even more was how everyone on the opposite team was speaking a different language, literally. They were from different countries, but they played as one. In Heaven, we will all speak the same language! We will all play for the same team!

Talk to the next generation about hell, but tell them about the glories of heaven too!