NextGenKent

            Not long ago I could tell something was out of sync with my son. He is thirteen now and I believe is coming to the rude awareness that his innocent elementary days are behind him. He is observing his friends who said they were Christians make hurtful choices that show they are not at least acting that way and he is trying to walk through the confusion that brings. That is a tough place. But something God is showing me is that this really is normal. So normal I need to anticipate that this occurrence would and will happen. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the entire school system disappoints us let alone our friendships in that system. There will always be the feeling for the children brought up since child birth in a Christ honoring home to sense that something is a little off in school. And that can be a major awakening, and one parents need to be prepared for.             The sch...

The converted lifestyle can be understood by looking back through the Gospels and reading what the authors had in mind as they wrote.  This takes a more intuitive (meditative?) approach in synthesizing from the author’s words what is to be understood. Matthew's recording of Jesus’ message of “repent” and “follow me” was all a part of his mission to “the people dwelling in darkness…and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death” (4:16-17).  The “great light” that has “dawned” on them would shine on the “narrow gate” and “the way [that] is hard that leads to life” (7:13-14). The people’s repentance was from some very specific things—the easy yet destructive  way  that many were traveling on. Being born a Jew, being Moses’ people or being Abraham’s people was not going to be good enough for entrance.  Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”...