Well, I’ve got so much to say. Kind of. One personal-related thing, and two personal-work related things. Where do I start?

Personal. Tonight I have to give a sort of devotional to the upcoming Navs student leaders at Kent State on Biblical Integrity. Why am I doing this? Because I’m passionate about it.

How do you listen to preaching? On what do you base your theology? Unfortunately, many people just either assume “if it sounds right, it must be true”, or “if a pastor says it, it’s gotta be true.” My dear friends, this is not so. First of all, you’re living in America, so what sounds right to you is American philosophy, such as “I deserve to be rich,” “if it feels good, do it,” “I don’t owe anything to anyone,” and “whatever you want to do, if you work hard enough you can do it.”

I don’t have the time to go into all the reasons that these ideas are dangerous and in some cases downright sinful. But if you listen to many preachers out there, that’s what they’ll say. I dare you to find them in the Bible. (and I mean the whole Bible, not just the half of the one verse that said pastor likes to quote)

So tonight I get to tell these kids that:

#1 The Bible is authoritative, and the only thing that they can pass on and know that others will always be able to come back to. (Your 4 fancy points beginning with the same letter will be forgotten within a day, I guarantee it)

#2 You must know the Bible in order to teach it. Fred Phelps (a Kansan preacher who anually claims that God hates ____ (gay people)) honestly thinks he’s preaching truth, but he evidently doesn’t know the Bible. 90% of the truth is often the most dangerous thing in the world. If you’re not in the Word, you’ve got no business teaching others what it says.

Learn the Word first, and fancy tricks to make it more easily accessible second.