Things to make you think...

Had an awesome life group (bible study) yesterday with nine girls! Yes nine! Normally I have around 4 or 5, but I talked to some girls who come to lightning bolts and convinced them to give it a try. We started the book of Hosea, about a man, Hosea, who is called to marry a prostitute, Gomer. The whole story is symbolic of God and the land of Israel. It's a great read if you haven't read it. 


One of my favorite verses is Hosea 2:14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her." It's about how God is going to pursue Gomer (Israel) and make it new again like he did with the Israelites when he led them out of Egypt. We had a great discussion on the first three chapters then like most teenage girls do they got distracted...but in a good way. They started asking questions:


Do you believe in the creation story?
Do you think people can go to hell and then heaven?
Do you believe in ghosts/spirits?
Do you think Abraham lived to be as old as he did?


And then one piped in saying, "Sometimes I think people look too much into things."


Amen. 


I found this great quote yesterday:
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"These days the world is much more profound than the church. One frequently hears pagans asking really good questions: What is the meaning of life? Does life have a purpose? Meanwhile, we evangelicals make the most trivial queries: Is dancing a sin? Should we immerse, sprinkle, or pour? Is Jesus really coming back in November? Is Iraq Magog? Does that mean Saddam the Antichrist? While we're organizing conferences so we can talk about ourselves and give each other awards, the world is taking its questions elsewhere. The world does not take the church seriously today because the church is not serious." 

This if from a book that I am eager to read now called Putting Amazing back into Grace. Shocking thing is it was written in 1994. Not much has changed has it? Really gives us something to think about...