Jesus is the Better Jonah

The story of Jonah's sacrifice prepares us for a better Sacrifice.

Jonah, who was guilty, was drug and thrown off the ship and sacrificed so that everyone could be physically saved from the storm. Jesus, who was innocent, wasn't drug, but willingly went to the cross and was sacrificed so that we would be spiritually saved from the storm of God's wrath.

Jonah went down to the whale for three days and three nights while Jesus was placed in his tomb for three days and three nights. Just as Jonah was spit out of the whale after these three days Jesus was resurrected out of the tomb after three days.

Jonah then went unwillingly to his enemy nation to preach the good news, but God willingly sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to ensure that every enemy nation would hear the good news.

Communicating With Angry Teens

I don’t have a teenager yet (or any kids for that matter), but I do work with teens and am interested in how to connect with them better.

Here are some good nuggets that I learned from the book “Get Outta My Face: How To Reach Angry, Unmotivated Teens”.

• Repent of your own sin before approaching others.
• Teens can and must think about their choices in light of goals and consequences. Nearly 700 times Proverbs urges teens to think about their choices in light of positive and negative outcomes of their decisions.
• Most angry teens are used to being interrogated, not listened to. Teens are asking: “Are you going to talk to me about what you want or what I want?” It’s interesting that Jesus asked people multiple times, “What do you want?”
  
• Every person has good desires given by God. The problem is that we try to get good things in the wrong ways. Therefore, we affirm the underlying desires but challenge the path they are on to fulfill those desires.
  
• Teens have underlying motives for disobeying authority. They don’t disobey “just because” they are teenagers. Getting to the heart motives (or heart idols) is necessary to change the behavior. Why are they talking on the phone 24/7? Do they want approval? Do they want intimacy? Do they want respect? Find the root problem.
• You give them the choice rather than telling them what to believe or do. Giving someone the power and authority to decide something themselves lightens the resistance and forces them to choose good or bad for themselves. You can outline the consequences of either choice, but then you must put the ball in their court. This clarification often dramatically pits the teen against himself instead of against you.
• The teachings of Jesus demonstrate the value of communicating in stages. “I still have many things to say to you, but you can’t bear them now” (1 John 16:12). God does not confront us with every area of sin and weakness in our lives in a single week. He works in stages, as we can bear it. Do we approach others with one small challenge at a time?
• The worst thing that can happen to our teen is not contracting AIDS, or having some other permanently life-altering experience, as tragic as that would be. The worst thing would be losing his own soul. Are we focusing on moral issues primarily or helping them to treasure Christ?
• Repeat what the say. Translating a teen’s feelings into your own words can show that you are tuned in (i.e. “So you are frustrated every time you try to talk to the teacher. She won’t take any time with you?”)
• If you try to give advice before the relational bridge is secure, you will probably see the conversation collapse from the teen’s disinterest.
• My favorite: Blame your teen for the good choices they are making to throw them off balance. We usually blame others when they do something wrong. But “blaming” others when they do something good can be very encouraging (i.e. Why did you do so well on that test? Why were you so respectful when my friends came over?). This will put a smile on their face.

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What Are Your Idols?

“Beloved children, keep yourself from idols.” – 1 John 5:21

Tim Keller says, “An idol is anything which occupies God’s place – it is anything upon which you will base your life. It is what you look to for your sense of meaning, happiness, and validation. When something becomes your idol, you will give it your unquestioned loyalty. You will let it run your life, determine your choices, and govern the use of your money and time. You will give yourself to it effortlessly.”

What are your idols?

Scott Sauls, in his article “Building a Christ-Centered Message and Ministry Culture” lists and expounds upon some of David Powlison’s idolatry diagnostic questions:

1. What do people feel they cannot survive or function without? In other words, what do they feel they have to have in order to enjoy life, or to be acceptable as a person? What are the things that they are terrified of losing?

2. Where do people spend their time and money with the least amount of effort? We always, without exception, will give our time and resources effortlessly to the things that give our lives the most meaning.

3. What do people tend to think and talk about the most? Another way to frame this question is to ask, “Where do their thoughts go when they are driving alone in the car, when they first wake in the morning?” What does this say about where the utmost treasures of their hearts are residing?

4. Which biblical commands are people the most hesitant to obey? This is always going to be the most revealing questions about the nature of a person’s particular idols. Whenever we choose to disobey a command of God – any command of God – at that moment in time our hearts are treasuring something or someone more than Him.

5. When do people become most angry? What kinds of people, things, or circumstances irritate them the most, and what is it about these people, things, or circumstances that give them such power over their hearts? What, if it happened, would tempt them to become angry with God?

6. How would people fill in the blank? “I cannot be happy unless ____.” Whatever is on the other side of the “unless” is the idol.

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