The pressure's on

Yesterday I read a study from the Barna Group that was very encouraging. For those of you who don't know, this research organization specializes in doing studies on trends among people of faith, with a special emphasis on the millennial generation. In this study, the main focus was the way technology was changing the way Millennials interact with their faith. You can read the whole study here. I encourage you too.

There's a lot in the study about how this generation is using the internet and their mobile devices to read Scripture, as opposed to just using books or the Bible in book form. That didn't surprise me - I've done a lot of that myself. But the cool part was the way they are using technology tools to check up on their preachers. Here's an excerpt:

Now with the ability to fact-check at their fingertips, Millennials aren’t taking the teaching of faith leaders for granted. In fact, 14% of Millennials say they search to verify something a faith leader has said. A striking 38% of practicing Christian Millennials say the same.

Wow! Preachers can't just assume their congregations are sitting there passively, believing everything they say.

And that's a good thing.

It reminds of the Christians at Berea, as told in Acts 17. When Paul and Silas were there preaching, we are told that the people of Berea "received the word with eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11, NASB, emphasis mine)

There is way too much blind acceptance of stuff that comes out of the pulpit. I won't even go into examples of false teaching, but it is all over the place. But it's not just in the 21st century - it was true in the first century as well. John wrote about testing doctrine (1 John 4:1), Paul about avoiding false teachers (1 Timothy 1:3-4). And Jesus said it was coming, and would mislead many (Matthew 24:11).

So how do we avoid getting caught in the trap? By doing what they did in Berea. And this is exactly what we see a large number of Millennials doing!

When I see that they are using technology for real time fact-checking, that is good news. It is my prayer that they are "fact-checking" what preachers are saying about the Bible, to make sure it's true. "Examining the Scriptures daily..." - no, not just daily but immediately! - ..."to see whether these things are so."

Technology can be a trap. But it can be a blessing. Watch out preachers, the pressure's on. May God use this trend to seed out false teachers and point a generation toward the awesome truth of the gospel.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post...

I had intended to post something different tonight. But it can wait. Because one of the icons of our generation has passed on, and it is only appropriate to pause...and mourn...and pay our respects.

Some 25 years ago I was thinking of buying a personal computer - a radical idea at the time. I walked into the house of my friends Sam and Steve (twins) and they showed me their computer - a product of the company founded by Steve Jobs. Apple.

It was a cool device with all sorts of graphical capabilities, but I ultimately decided to get a PC. I think it was mostly because of the spreadsheet program, something outdated called Symphony. While PC's served me well over the years, there was something missing; I think was at least partially the "cool" factor.

Over the next few years Apple got its butt kicked by Microsoft, until the early 2000s when Mr. Jobs got involved again and the world has not been the same. When I got my first iPod, I had never - never - owned a device as cool as that. All my music with me...al the time. You know the rest...music, videos, downloaded movies, the iPhone, and most recently the iPad.

And yes, after years of owning PCs, I finally got a Macbook, I would not go back for anything.

So as I sit here typing this post on said Macbook, I think back a few hours to when I got the news of Steve Jobs' death...on my iPhone. President Obama said it very well earlier this evening:

And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.

Like I did.

Goodbye Steve Jobs. We are grateful and we will miss you.

What's wrong with this picture?

I just left the gas station, where regular octane gas was selling for $3.45 per gallon. Prices are spiking and with current international unrest (convinced with the approaching summer season), this is likely to last awhile. So, I give you the Smart car...being towed by an RV.

The picture above was taken on I-85 somewhere between Atlanta and the Alabama state line. The irony is striking. Or maybe the inconsistency. Yeah, I know - when you're planning to park your RV somewhere you need a car to get around in. It's all over the place when I go to college football games.

But an RV...and a Smart car? Yes, this is a fantastic idea. Let's travel, oh say, 500 miles in a guzzler that gets about 5 MPG so that we can park and run around to restaurants in a car that gets 60! Yep, $350 to get there, and oh, probably about $3 to scat around town. It made us laugh out loud.

But wait - am I pointing a finger only to have four pointing back at me? Or is there inconsistency in the way I live my life too? Yep. I'll drink Coke Zero to wash down a huge steak and cheese fries. And lots of other stuff like that.

When you think about it, a consistent life is a most difficult thing to do. In fact, it is so difficult, I think my only hope for approaching it is to depend on the only One who ever achieved it. The One who said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) Pure...undivided...consistent.

The RV pulling a Smart car was a funny sight. Some inconsistencies are not so funny. I pray for wisdom to see mine, so they can be rooted out. Step by step, moving toward purity; that is, consistency.

Tech baby

I'm sure most of you have seen this ad, or one of the other ones like it:



I think they're all hilarious, especially this one where he goes to his backup, the smart phone when he's grounded.  Ridiculous, right? Babies can't use smart phones!

But check this out: I was in line at Universal-Orlando last month, waiting to get into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. (It was a loooooooong line, but totally worth it.)  About halfway through that 90-minute wait, we saw this:

This is a real picture.  I am not making this up!  A kid.  In a stroller.  Using an iPhone. Ok, it looked like one - maybe it's an Android, I don't remember.  If you can tell from the picture, feel free to correct me.  Either way, it's a stinkin' smart phone!  and I'm betting he's better at it than I am.

Yes, it's a new world, and we ain't going back.  Whenever you see that eTrade ad, maybe - like me - you'll think of this kid.

Now...back to your regularly scheduled surfing...