Is Your Child a "Fake Christian?"

CNN recently ran a story on youth and Christianity (Author: "More teens becoming 'fake' Christians" by John Blake)

(CNN) -- If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning:

Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.

Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.

Another reason why, preaching theological sermons, attending the Lord's Supper, and strong Confirmation Classes are the most important things in your church.

Satire: Public Relations and the Church

Buddy Christ

Or, Which Jesus Saved Your Soul?

Christianity Today has a funny article, "How to Become a Successful Religion" by Mark Galli. It is a hoot.

It always use to crack me up when people would learn my last name, "Sell." If I had a buck for every time someone would then say, "You're a good salesman." The other comment was, "You've got a good product to sell."  Of course, the comments were always well meaning and said with good intentions. No offense taken.

To: James, President of the Jerusalem Council

Re: Initial Impressions

Shalom Marketing Ltd. was recently contacted by a member of your council, asking us to tell you about our services. He said to make it clear that he was footing the bill for this initial evaluation, with the hopes that our sound advice will encourage the council to hire us to guide your marketing efforts for the next strategic stage in your movement's life.

Oh that Peter. This one really cracked me up.

Christ Instead of Me

"...there is no quality in my heart at all, call it either faith or charity;

but instead of these I set Christ Himself before me,

and I say, “There is my righteousness.”

--Martin Luther, 16th c. Reformer 

 
(Picture is the Lower Panel of “Memorial of the Reformation” Altarpiece, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, [1547] from St. Mary's Church [Townchurch] Wittenberg, Germany. LCMS will soon open an outreach center in Wittenberg, Germany with CPH.)

Pastor Harrison on Wretched Network - Huh?

Two Pastors - Yin and Yang

Or, as I put it, when is it time to grow up?

Here is another video making the rounds. It is from the NRB Network. It is a clip from their late night show called Wretched, a nightly variety show hosted by Todd Friel, which makes its NRB Network debut on Monday,  October 19 at 11:30 pm ET.

From their web site,

Host, Todd Friel, is a former stand-up comedian and longtime radio personality who refers to himself as the “chief of wretches”. While studying to become a pastor, Todd came to a point of reckoning with his salvation. The experience left him with a passion for the truth of God’s Word which, when combined with his wit, makes Wretched a program like no other.

The video is Pastor Matt Harrison, the president-elect of the LCMS (starts in Sept.), speaking to the convention moments after his election compared to another pastor. Todd Friel seems to be making an excellent point.

The Family Blessings

The following is an excerpt of an excellent article by Dr. Gene Edward Vieth, Your Family Vocation. Originally published in the Lutheran Witness, September 2001, a publication of the LCMS.

The church was packed for the funeral of a lady in her upper 80s. She and her latehusband had had a lot of children, and here they were, along with a slew of children and great-grandchildren. Add in the spouses of everyone, plus nieces and nephews and their children, and the church was pretty much filled with family, all coming before God to thank Him for her life and to commend her back to Him.

122 Family Members

What if this woman had not happened to meet her husband back in the 1930’s? What if they had not gotten married? Half of the people in the church, from the middle-aged grandparents to the little kids squirming in the pews, would not exist.