Three Thoughts On Youths

TITLE: THREE THOUGHTS ON YOUTHS
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 1:4-6
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: March 20th, 2015

4The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” (Jeremiah 1:4-6)

This week, I offer three brief thoughts about youths. The first follows the calling of young Jeremiah. the second is about the responses of youths and how energetic they are all over the world. The third is about the choices we make when we are young.

A) God Inspires Vision

(Picture Credit: sermons4kids.com)

Jeremiah was in his early twenties when he was called to be a prophet for God. Some Jewish commentators even put him as young as 14. The Hebrew word "naar" (young) can also be translated as a "boy" or someone who is not an "adult" yet. It is hard to pin down the exact age, so we can only identify clues in the passage. We know that God spoke with him and he heard it. God even brought him all the way before he was in the womb. Frankly, for a person that young, it is perfectly understandable. In our society, would we trust someone who had never been to college to be mayor of our city? Would we vote for a young chap under the age of 20 to run our municipality? In many places, people that young should be in school and not meddle around with adult matters. So we should understand where Jeremiah is coming from.

Yet, there are biblical precedents of how the LORD overturned the common perceptions to remind us that in life, God always has the final say, not man. Moses was resisting his call by giving the eloquent excuse (Exodus 4:10). Solomon confesses his lack of maturity as he humbly requests God for wisdom to govern (1 Kings 3:7). Even Elizabeth was humbled when Mary came visiting.

"But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43)

Good Old Days or Brave New Future?

TITLE: GOOD OLD DAYS or BRAVE NEW FUTURE?
SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 12:1
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: May 14th, 2014

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them.”— (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

I was troubled this week after reading Thom Rainer's "Autopsy of a Deceased Church." In it, Rainer , the President of Lifeway Christian Resources shared some grim statistics about the American Church.

• Healthy churches: 10%
• Churches with sickness symptoms: 40%
• Churches that are very sick: 40%
• Dying churches: 10%

Rainer commented further that "though these numbers are not precise, I do believe they reflect the actual conditions of churches across America." The numbers are disturbing. We have 90% of churches that are either sick or dying. Is that not troubling?

The Reactor Factor

TITLE: THE REACTOR FACTOR
SCRIPTURE: Mark 2:22
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: September 27th, 2013

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins." (Mark 2:22)

I am a member of a global advisory group with an international Christian organization. From time to time, I will contribute facts, ideas, and opinions to some of the most pressing issues surrounding the Christian Church and faith matters. This week, the question is: "Why Young People Leave the Church and How to Stop it?" An accompanying article points a finger at two main reasons: 1) The young has never really been challenged in their faith; 2) They have not seen authentic discipleship done among adults in their churches.

I am not entirely convinced. With that, I want to do some exploration of what others are saying before I offer some of my thoughts.

Pious Parents, Rebellious Kids

TITLE: Pious Parents, Rebellious Kids
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 3 October 2011

“Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

After Dr John Stott, and Billy Graham, the next most well-known name in evangelical circles is the late Dr Francis Schaeffer. Known for his wide ministry in university campuses, his writings have influenced many. Together with his wife Edith, the Schaeffers founded the L’Abri ministry (L’Abri means shelter in French) in Switzerland, which focuses on spiritual formation, intellectual development, as well as a safe place for people to cultivate their discernment of their callings and giftings. Due to its huge success, L’Abri ‘study centers’ have been set up all over the world, in Europe, in North America, in Asia, and South America. I have many friends who tell me how they have been blessed by the Schaeffers and the ministry of L’Abri. While a lot is known about Francis and Edith Schaeffer, what is not so well known is a troubled father-son relationship. This week I like to address a rather sensitive topic for pious parents, hurting with rebellious kids.