like a fire

Two pieces of scripture have always been pretty powerful for me. The first is:

John 10: 10 “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full.”

That one is great because it is a blessing and a warning. Jesus tells us in one breath that he has come to be a good shepherd to his sheep, but that there is danger from the predator.

Another, great piece of the bible comes from 1 Samuel 31.

“34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and take the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!“

What an image! David says that this giant is no problem for him. He has taken on lions and bears. I think that is a pretty great picture for life. I’m not saying that I can grab Satan by the jaw and club him to death, but I can fight the lies that come from him.

For me, that is the essence of youth ministry - teaching teens and their parents how to fight in the kingdom like that.

Put that in your Heroes pipe and smoke it.