Easy Believism at VBS

I stumbled upon a church who was sharing their excitement about almost 400 children making decisions to make Jesus their Forever Friend at Vacation Bible School (VBS). Almost 60 of these children then went through a baptism class to be baptized. What startles me about telling children to make Jesus their Forever friend is that this language is not found in Scripture. I understand the desire for sinners to be saved. I want children to know Jesus as well; however, we must be sure that they understand the gospel before we treat them like Christians. If we tell children that “Jesus is their forever friend because they accepted Him” and this language is not in the Bible, then we just lied to these children. The sad reality is that Jesus can be your “forever friend” and you still go to hell. If children do not repent and believe in Christ, believing He lived and died to forgive them of their sins and rose from the dead to bring them into right relationship with God, they’re not Christians. Consider the words of Christ, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Does that sound like a “typical friendship,” especially like the friendships children currently understand? Not in the least.

What is missing from “asking Jesus to be your forever friend?”  Continue at Jared Moore

My Thoughts on Youth Ministry and Vacation Bible School

Let’s be honest: The very foundation of most VBS and youth ministries is nothing more than pragmatic, unbiblical, man-centered, entertainment-style programs designed to lure youth into church, baiting the hook with promises of fun and excitement with the purpose of switching from fun and frivolity to deep matters that aren’t so fun and amusing; subjects like sin, death, judgment, Hell, eternal torment, and a bloody and battered Savior hanging from a rugged Roman cross in order to take on our sins (and absorb God’s wrath) while imputing His own righteousness to an undeserving people. How one can effectively make the transition from amusement and frivolity to the grim realities of the gospel to a group of kids hyped up on Mountain Dew and pizza provided by the church is beyond me (this is presuming, of course, that there are still some churches out there that are even attempting to present the gospel in such an unadulterated fashion). Read the rest HERE