judge away

mythbusters: pop rocks & pop from Jeff Selph on Vimeo.

I think I'm really excited about what I'll be teaching on in youth group, because I know that for years I believed some pretty ridiculous stuff about the Bible. I've spent the last several years thinking about a lot of things I was taught. I didn't just start this mission after I became "willingly disenfranchised" - as my brother Dan calls me - from the traditional church. Part of my disillusion came from not agreeing with a lot of things I had heard over the years. I should probably quickly clear something up. I actually believe almost everything I've been taught, but much of what I disagree with seems to be a pretty big deal to a lot of people I know. Here's a quick example: I do not believe that consuming alcohol is a sin. I do believe, as the Bible teaches, that getting drunk is a sin. I believe that Jesus turned water into wine, drank wine, and even had wine at the Passover celebration that we refer to as the Last Supper. I also believe that 2 of those last 3 sentences would cause a big argument with many people that I am close to.

But wait, I'm not teaching on drinking in youth group. No, that would not be wise. I'm teaching on other myths that Christians believe are actually in the Bible. Last night, I taught on the misnomer that you cannot judge me. This silliness is based on Matthew 7:1, which says not to judge, unless you also want to be judged. People take this to mean that we, as Christians, cannot hold each other accountable for doing wrong. That's nonsense. We can't sharpen each other, as Proverbs talks about, without talking right and wrong. The truth is that we are not to sit in the judgment seat. We are not to adjudicate sentencing for wrong doing. We aren't to condemn other people, because we are just as guilty of offending God as they are. We can't fix each other. But by all means, as my Christian brother, if you know that I am doing something wrong, please, please hold me accountable for that, but don't do so by making up a fake name and e-mailing me or leaving me comments under your fake name. Yes, that has happened to me. Weird, huh? Anyway, when someone comes to you concerned, don't drop the infamous, "you can't judge me," on them. Graciously accept the advice, and if they are right, follow it.

One other thing: I'm really excited about making 3 more stupid videos. I really enjoy doing that.