Mar
Consider with me James 5:19-20, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
Do any of you know a brother or sister in Christ that is wandering away from the Church and from Christ? Chances are, you probably do. I’m not just talking about those who don’t come to church regularly, though they are included. I’m thinking about those who sit in worship service and come to youth group on a regular basis, yet they believe there is more joy and fulfillment available in the world than in Christ. If you see a brother or sister in Christ believing the lies of Satan and behaving in a destructive, godless manner; guess what? GOD WANTS YOU TO SAY SOMETHING.
As believers, we are in union with Christ, and, therefore, united to one another. We are ONE body. Often, we remain silent because we think: “Well, it’s none of my business.” or “I don’t want to come across as judgmental.” If you are my brother or sister in Christ, my business is your business, and your business is my business. You are called to care for the souls of those in the church. We need to be in each other’s business because our own hearts are deceitful and we are all prone to wander. James 5:19-20, gives us the freedom to JUDGE that a person’s belief or behavior is wrong. What we should not do is forget that we, too, are sinners reliant upon God’s grace for our salvation. Rebuke must be given in humility and in love.
Do not sit back and watch a brother or sister in Christ wander from the narrow path. Realize that it is a matter of eternal life or eternal death.
Feb
The FPC Youth Ministry website has a new name: “Walking in the Light.” This phrase, or concept, is found throughout the Scriptures to describe what it means to live as a child of God, as one who has been washed in the blood of Christ and enjoys communion with the Lord our God and His people, the Church. Here are some passages which speak about this amazing reality:
- Psalm 56:13 - “For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”
- Psalm 89:15-16 - “Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.”
- Isaiah 2:5 - “O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.”
- John 8:12 - “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
- Ephesians 5:8-10 - “… for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”
- 1 John 1:7 - “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
If you are a believer, you have seen the Light. Jesus Christ is the light who, by his redemptive work, has provided eternal life to those who deserve eternal death. He has driven the darkness from your heart. Jesus has laid bare the reality of your sinful condition and has revealed Himself to be your Lord and Savior. “Once you were blind, but now you see.”
However, as can be seen in the passages above, “walking in the light” has something to do with the way the redeemed are to live. As those who are saved by Christ, we are called to live like Christ. Christ has delivered us from slavery to sin so that we may be slaves to righteousness. Our thoughts, words and actions are to be distinct from the ways of the unbelieving world. We are to “live in the radiance of God’s light, so that we reflect God’s virtues and glory” (S. J. Kistemaker, NT Commentary). When we walk in the light, we glorify our God and demonstrate to the unbeliever that the Gospel is true.
So, now you know why I have chosen this name for our website. We are walking/living in the radiance of Jesus Christ. I want this site to be a constant reminder to you of this amazing reality. And, I want you to know that you are not alone; we as the youth group of FPC are walking in the light together.
