Editors' Note: Reflecting on the movies produced by Sherwood Baptist Church, Andy Crouch imagined the scenario where "one or two Christian kids with real talent somewhere in this vast land are going to see these movies, get the sacred-secular dichotomy knocked out of them at an early age, move to Los Angeles, work their tails off, dream, fail, and try again . . . and one day make truly great movies." What would these movies look like? What advice would you give to a Christian screenwriter, director, or producer who wants to make a film with artistic excellence from a Christian worldview? The Gospel Coalition posed these questions to writers, filmmakers, and artists to reflect together about Christianity and film.

See also:

• Don't Discard the Drama for Words by Brian Godawa
• Create Culture, Not Subculture by Mike Cosper

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In the summer of 1999 I finally became a Christian filmmaker.

I wrote a screenplay (title: "Other Than War") about two Marines who serve together in Somalia (on a peacekeeping operation) and San Diego (on recruiting duty). I selected the cast (fellow Marines), the crew (fellow Marines), the locations (Rosarito, Mexico; San Diego), and the caterer (Pizza Hut). But the production hit a snag when, because of "cost overruns," my executive producer (MasterCard) refused to provide the funding I needed ($2,500) to buy a digital film camera (a Canon GL1).

As a result, I've been stuck for the past 13 years in what we in the business call "development limbo." Having my first film project languishing in the pre-production phase somewhat limits the practical guidance I can provide as a screenwriter/director/producer. But I'm not one to turn down the opportunity to offer unsolicited advice, so I present these six suggestions for my fellow filmmakers.

1. Don't be ashamed of the "Christian" label.

"We're a movie made by Christians," director Steve Taylor said about his new movie Blue Like Jazz, "but we don't like it tagged as a Christian movie."

Whatever artists think they are saying with such a claim, they really convey, "Yes, I'm a Christian, but I didn't allow my Christian attitudes, beliefs, experiences, or ideas to shape my work---my art is indistinguishable from what would be produced by a non-believer." Is this really what you intend?

Unfortunately, many Christians have convinced themselves that we can approach our vocations with a sense of religious neutrality. But we can't. Our work either betrays a worldview shaped by Christ or one influenced by the world (or, more likely, a syncretistic mix of the two). Whether we are plumbers, teachers, or mathematicians, our faith ultimately shapes the way we approach and carry out our work.

This is especially true for those whose vocation entails storytelling. We either consciously acknowledge the ways our faith forms our artistic vocations, or we will be willfully blind to how our sinful nature shapes our craft.

When it comes to art, common grace can only carry us so far. Without the redemptive guidance of the Christian faith, our culture-making efforts as Christians will eventually stagnate and atrophy. Our work will become indistinguishable from those who rebel against our Creator.

We Christians are not only set free from our sins but also set free to help carry out God's redemptive role in creation. In response, we should desire to use our gifts for the glory of God, rather than merely for the advancement of our own exaltation. Why then would we not want our art to be labeled as "Christian"? And why would we Christians want to produce art that cannot be distinguished from those who despise our Redeemer?

2. Don't imitate Terrence Malick.

Last year one of America's most overrated directors released one of the most overrated "Christian" films in the history of cinema: Tree of Life. I've read dozens of reviews---many by Christian film critics---and the praise for the film tends to be based on three factors: It's well-acted, it's pretty, and it isn't a cheesy Christian film like Fireproof.  Admittedly, all of that is true. Tree of Life contained superb acting, lush cinematography, and is cheesy in a way completely unlike the unfairly maligned Fireproof.

Just as Fireproof was welcomed as a Christian alternative to Hollywood schlock, Tree of Life was embraced as a substitute for Christian kitsch. In many Christian intellectual and artistic circles, admitting that you don't like Malick's latest snoozefest is a sure sign that you are a philistine (and probably from somewhere like Tulsa or Omaha).

Even so, Tree of Life is deadly dull---like watching a documentary by a Buddhist who has read the Old Testament. Tree of Life fails as a work of art because it does not meet the minimum required of every competent film: tell a coherent and compelling story.

Unfortunately, critical reception of the film ensures that it will be influential among Christian filmmakers for years to come. As a result, Christian audiences will be subjected to a slew of meandering tone poems rather than treated to vibrant and enthralling narratives.

You can spare your audience such grief and pain by following a simple rule: Don't be like Malick. Don't portray God's creation as boring. Don't make a film that will only win you kudos with critics too insecure to admit they don't understand why you included the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park in a remake of The Great Santini. Make a movie for us unwashed masses. Give us a story. Give us a narrative that makes us gasp at its audacity and ask "What is man that you are mindful of him?" rather than "Seriously, what's up with the dinosaurs?"

3. Sometimes it's okay for a film to just be a movie.

Not everything needs to be work of art. Sometimes we just need entertainment. (Don't worry, we'll still call you an "artist.")

4. Don't be knostic.

Over the course of my 42 years I've watched roughly 3,000 films. In order to justify my rather indiscriminate viewing habits I became a master of eisegesis---the process of misinterpreting a text by introducing one's own presuppositions and agendas into the text.

For most of my movie-watching career few films eluded my efforts to read into the script some form of "redemptive" theme. No matter what the filmmakers' intent in making the film, I had the ability to suss out its hidden, deeply embedded, "Christian" meaning they didn't even know they had included. I was what Douglas Wilson would call a "knostic," a person who has a "tendency that attempts to resist Gnosticism while simultaneously falling into something else very much like it."

Many modern knostics have wanted to learn how to appreciate the arts of narrative. As far as that goes, nothing wrong with it, but whether writing about novels, or movies, or stageplays, they have found "redemptive" or "death and resurrection" themes in all kinds of grimy stories. In other words, an abstract thing, the structure of the story, is mysteriously able to sanctify the actual content of the story. By means of this amazing magic trick, any amount of Tarantino sludge can be made edifying.

Now . . . three cheers for structure, but content matters. Content is determinative.

Content determines whether your film is Christian (i.e., influenced by your Christian worldview) or syncretistic (influenced by a mix of worldviews). As a filmmaker you must make that choice consciously rather than relying on the structure to convey your theme. Consider, for example, the common structural trope of the "Christ-figure." Any moderately competent director could turn Satan into a Christ-figure. But that wouldn't give the movie a "redemptive" theme. Don't expect your audience to do the work of reading into your movie a redemptive theme that you were unwilling to include.

5. Don't be afraid to make distinctly Christian films.

Gene Veith explains the defining element in Christian art:

All distinctly Christian art must be, in some sense, about the agonizing struggle between sin and grace.

Mere moral lessons, while perhaps commendable, are not enough to be distinctly Christian, since Mormons, Muslims, and ethical humanists could agree with them. And mere optimistic positive messages are not enough and may even be harmful, since they can create the illusion that we can achieve righteousness by our own efforts. Works of meaning and beauty have their own value. But to be explicitly "Christian," a work needs to be, directly or indirectly, about sin and grace and what Christ has to do with them.

While not all films made by a Christian need to be explicitly Christian, our culture could use more works that are distinctly Christian. If Christians filmmaker won't make them, who will?

6. If you want to be a Christian filmmaker make a film.

From my experience I've found that after about a decade, people become skeptical about your claims to being a filmmaker if you've never actually made a film. If you want people to take you seriously as Christian filmmaker, then be a Christian and go make a film. You may fail in your efforts, you may even make a very bad film, but at least you can say you made a film. That's more than most of us failed filmmakers will ever be able to say.

John Calvin wrote that the human heart is an idol factory. He was right.

Throughout history, we have bowed down to golden cattle, celestial beings, stone animals, and even human body parts. With the passage of time, the number of ways we exchange worship for the one true God for lesser, false gods has only increased.

Today, we can sadly add yet another idol to the list---social media.

The developing technology of social media (blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and so on) can and should be used for the glory of God and the advancement of the gospel in every possible way. But natural-born idolaters like you and me are no more than a few clicks away from making this good thing a god.

Tainted Meals

Social media carry a unique set of temptations. Much like the adulterous temptress described in Proverbs, social media invite us come into her house and enjoy the choicest foods, only to find the meal poisoned.

The most dangerous of these tainted meals is pride.

Social media offer us a glimpse into our worldly significance with such tantalizing immediacy as our blog and tweet stats. Many of us check our stats because we are more concerned with the applause of man than the affirmation of Jesus. We forsake justification in the gospel for seeking to be right in our followers' eyes. In these moments, we are guilty of doing the exact opposite of what we set out to do in the first place---glorify God and serve others

Pride can also creep in through tweets and status updates. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with mentioning where we are having lunch or who joined us, we would be well served by checking our hearts before we do. Are we sharing this information to give people a helpful window into our lives as we seek to live out the gospel, or are we unwittingly (or even quite wittingly) enticing our friends toward coveting the life we live? Out of the overflow of the heart, the thumbs tweet.

Seeking Solutions

So what's the answer to this new challenge? Here are several suggestions.

1. Think before you post.

Seriously. I know it sounds simple, but stopping for a moment to think (and even pray) about why we do something is an amazing sin-killing weapon. I've been helped by simply asking myself, "Why am I about to publish this post?" Pausing to pose this question can, has, and will continue to provide just enough of a stop sign for the Spirit to do his work in my heart.

2. Consider "fasting" from social media for a season.

While this may seem extreme, fasting seems like the least we could do to expose the true condition of our hearts, especially in light of Jesus' counsel about tearing out our eye if it makes us sin (Matthew 5:29). In my experience, if we are flatly unwilling to consider fasting, that fact alone speaks volumes. Of course, this solution itself does not bring true and lasting change, but a social media fast can be a helpful weapon in your arsenal in your war for holiness.

3. Believe and apply the gospel.

It has been well said that "heart work is hard work." I believe the gospel addresses the sins of social media as we seek approval or acceptance. We are more excited about what strangers say about us that what the God of the universe has already spoken over us through the cross. We are stitching together a flawed coat of fig leaves out of followers, "friends," and retweets to try to hide insecurities that can only truly be addressed in the gospel. But, by God's matchless grace, if when we are tempted to go to the the fleeting approval of man, we instead go to the eternal approval of God that is ours in Christ---the approval unaffected by the abundance or absence of re-tweets---we, our followers, and the kingdom are better for it.

Calvin was right. The heart is an idol factory.

At this intersection of technology and idolatry, we need to pull the plug on the idolatry and walk in the light.

"When all your favorite preachers are gone, and all their books forgotten, you will have your Bible. Master it. Master it." --- John Piper

I meet with women all the time who are curious about how they should study the Bible. They hunger for transformation, but it eludes them. Though many have spent years in church, even participating in organized studies, their grasp on the fundamentals of how to approach God's Word is weak to non-existent. And it's probably not their fault. Unless we are taught good study habits, few of us develop them naturally.

Why, with so many study options available, do many professing Christians remain unschooled and unchanged? Scripture teaches clearly that the living and active Word matures us, transforms us, accomplishes what it intends, increases our wisdom, and bears the fruit of right actions. There is no deficit in the ministry of the Word. If our exposure to it fails to result in transformation, particularly over the course of years, there are surely only two possible reasons why: either our Bible studies lack true converts, or our converts lack true Bible study.

I believe the second reason is more accurate than the first. Much of what passes for Bible study in Christian bookstores and church resource libraries just isn't: while it may educate us on a doctrine or a topic, it does little to further our Bible literacy. And left to our own devices, we pursue a host of unsavory (and un-transformative) self-constructed approaches to "spending time in the Word." Here are several that I encounter on a regular basis.

The Xanax Approach: Feel anxious? Philippians 4:6 says be anxious for nothing. Feel ugly? Psalm 139 says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Feel tired? Matthew 11:28 says Jesus will give rest to the weary. The Xanax Approach treats the Bible as if it exists to make us feel better. Whether aided by a devotional book or just the topical index in our Bibles, we pronounce our time in the Word successful if we can say, "Wow. That was touching." The Problem: The Xanax Approach makes the Bible a book about us. We ask how the Bible can serve us, rather than how we can serve the God it proclaims. Actually, the Bible doesn't always make us feel better. Quite often it does just the opposite (feeling awesome? Jeremiah 17:9 says you're a wicked rascal). Yes, there is comfort to be found in the pages of Scripture, but context is what makes that comfort lasting and real. The Xanax Approach guarantees that huge sections of your Bible will remain unread, because they fail to deliver an immediate dose of emotional satisfaction.

The Pinball Approach: Lacking a preference or any guidance about what to read, you read whatever Scripture you happen to turn to. Releasing the plunger of your good intentions, you send the pinball of ignorance hurtling toward whatever passage it may hit, ricocheting around to various passages "as the Spirit leads." The Problem: The Bible was not written to be read this way. The Pinball Approach gives no thought to cultural, historical or textual context, authorship, or original intent of the passage in question. When we read this way, we treat the Bible with less respect than we would give to a simple textbook. Imagine trying to master algebra by randomly reading for ten minutes each day from whatever paragraph in the textbook your eyes happened to fall on. Like that metal pinball, you'd lose momentum fast. And be very bad at algebra.

The Magic 8 Ball Approach: You remember the Magic 8 Ball---it answered your most difficult questions as a child. But you're an adult now and wondering if you should marry Bob, get a new job, or change your hair color. You give your Bible a vigorous shake and open it to a random page. Placing your finger blindly on a verse, you then read it to see if "signs point to yes." The Problem: The Bible is not magical, and it does not serve our whim. The Magic 8 Ball Approach misconstrues the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the Word, demanding that the Bible tell us what to do rather than who to be. And it's dangerously close to soothsaying, which people used to get stoned for. So, please. No Magic 8 Ball.

The Personal Shopper Approach: You want to know about being a godly woman or how to deal with self-esteem issues, but you don't know where to find verses about that, so you let [insert famous Bible teacher here] do the legwork for you. The Problem: The Personal Shopper Approach doesn't help you build "ownership" of Scripture. Much like the Pinball Approach, you ricochet from passage to passage, gaining fragmentary knowledge of many books of the Bible but mastery of none. Topical studies serve a purpose: they help us integrate broad concepts into our understanding of Scripture. But if they're all we ever do, we're missing out on the richness of learning a book of the Bible from start to finish.

The Jack Sprat Approach: This is where we engage in "picky eating" with the Word of God. We read the New Testament, but other than Psalms and Proverbs we avoid the Old Testament, or we read books with characters, plots, or topics we can easily identify with. The Problem: All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable. All of it. Women, it's time to move beyond Esther, Ruth, and Proverbs 31 to the rest of the meal. Everyone, you can't fully appreciate the sweetness of the New Testament without the savory of the Old Testament. We need a balanced diet to grow to maturity.

Discipleship Defined

Why do these six habits of highly ineffective Bible study persist in the church today? Why does biblical ignorance continue to dog the church, despite the good intentions of leadership to obey the Great Command to make disciples? I believe the answer lies in our definition of a disciple.

A disciple is, literally, a learner---one who follows another's teaching. But the modern church has tended to define a disciple as a "doer" instead of as a "learner." We have been asked to do service projects, join home groups, find an accountability partner, get counseling, fix our marriages, sing on the worship team, get out of debt, help in the nursery, hand out bulletins, go on mission trips, give to the building fund, share the gospel at Starbucks---but we have so rarely been challenged to pursue the most fundamental element of discipleship---earnest study of the Word. Yes, a disciple does, but we're motivated to act by love for the God revealed in the Word.

Stop waiting for your community of believers to call you to be what Christ already has. Be a student. Be a good student. Read repetitively and in context, line by line. Keep the God of the gospel at the center of your study. Strive for comprehension before interpretation. Give application ample time to emerge from a passage. Watch ignorance flee and transformation flourish. Study the Word. Master it, master it.

So you want to go to college. Good decision! There's a good chance followers of Jesus played a key role in starting your school, even if you don't attend a Christian college. These heroes showed us how to glorify God by exercising his gift of thinking. Following in their steps, you will be one of the relatively few around the world with the intellectual and financial means to attend college. You have been given this rare gift so you can bless others, not merely enrich yourself. That perspective will help you study harder even as you look for ways to serve the community and share the gospel of Jesus Christ during these life-changing years.

As a college student you may be tempted to look down on others who don't enjoy the blessings of higher education. After all, it's only growing harder these days to support a family---even just yourself---without an undergraduate diploma. On average, college graduates earn about $22,000 more annually than peers who did not finish a degree. The high unemployment rate for young workers may discourage you; it's not the best time to be 20. But imagine trying to find a job you might enjoy with decent benefits and prospects for advancement if you didn't pursue at least two years of further education after high school. And surely you're familiar with the social benefits of college. You're probably looking forward to making interesting new friends and learning how to live away from home. As long as you live, your alma mater will make you proud. You might not even mind that they never stop asking for money, even when their endowment exceeds $31 billion.

I should warn you, however: Someone has to pay, and college isn't getting any cheaper. Your parents have probably pointed this out a time or two. (Go easy on them. The recession took a big bite out of their retirement accounts, and a year or two of private college tuition and board probably costs about what they paid for the house you grew up in.) Friends, guidance counselors, and admissions officers can surely point you to the various payment options. If you've studied hard enough to make it into one of those $5-billion-dollar-endowment schools, you might qualify for the best aid of all: need-based grants. No matter where you attend, sign up for work-study and fit at least 10 hours into your schedule. (Hint: Find a job like mine working in a quiet section of the library where you can also study.) When you've exhausted every other method of paying for your education (including scholarships: you'd be surprised by how many of your peers never bother to even fill out the forms), then we can finally talk about the main reason I'm writing you today: student loans.

You'll hear many voices tell you student loans are "good debt." By this they mean you're borrowing at relatively low interest rates for something that should produce great financial return over many decades. (Examples of bad debt would include cars and credit cards.) Indeed, student loans make sense if the federal government subsidizes them (get to know the meaning of Stafford and Perkins) and you limit their size by following the strategy we discussed earlier. That's easier said than done today. The average student debt has climbed to $25,250. Maybe that number doesn't grab your attention. This one will: Education debt now surpasses $1 trillion, topping even the absurdly high amount we Americans owe credit card companies.

Our fears of debt have not kept pace with the frightful surge in education costs. The College Board tells us tuition and fees at public, four-year colleges have nearly tripled in less than 20 years. That's not even the worst news. With the recession forcing cuts in state budgets, public school costs spiked 8.3 percent in 2010 alone. That Christian college you're considering probably isn't in much better shape, since the market crash slashed their endowments, already smaller than many of their secular counterparts. During the same time public-school costs tripled, private-school costs more than doubled.

Just in time for you to head off to school, America faces a crisis of education costs. That's why President Obama slow-jammed the news with Jimmy Fallon during a recent tour of several colleges and called on Congress to impose a one-year freeze on Stafford loan interest rates, which will otherwise double on July 1. Unless Congress obliges, more than 7 million students will pay about $1,000 more on their loans. But where does the federal government find another $6 billion to offset these costs? I hate to bear bad news, but the adults in charge have a hard time agreeing on how to solve these problems. And you thought student council meetings were a lot of talk and no action!

As we search in vain for ways to control education costs, we're only beginning to understand the social costs of our student debt. You and your parents should read and discuss this recent article from The Wall Street Journal. Marriage and children might seem a long way off right now, but you don't want to end up like these folks, who sacrificed family by taking out more than $75,000 in student loans they can't repay. The decisions you make today about how to pay for school will determine many other lifestyle decisions for decades to come. Remember, you can't escape your student loans in bankruptcy. Beg to borrow today, but you'll never plead your way out of these debts.

In conclusion, I'm tempted to tell you to pick a challenging but safe major like pre-med or engineering where you'll greatly improve your chances of earning a large salary and avoiding pesky creditors. I've also considered advising you against enrolling in that costly private school with the beautiful campus and low faculty-to-student ratio. But with a journalism and history degree from an expensive private university under my belt, I'm hardly qualified to counsel practicality.

So here's my final bit of advice: leave yourself options for God to lead where you don't expect to go. You may find that lucrative career as a professional musician or lawyer doesn't excite you at 21 the way it did when you were 18. With God's blessing, your faith in Jesus Christ will surpass your current imagining during the next four years. And God often calls fervent young believers during college to give themselves in service as pastors and missionaries. Or you may identify with an exciting non-profit seeking justice for the poor and oppressed. These careers will not likely compensate you well. Sizable debt will tempt you to bypass them. But who wants to study four years just so you can work a job the next 20 to pay for it? Student debt isn't worth the price of freedom to follow God in your career, marriage, and family choices.

You're going to love college. Think hard. Think to the glory of God. And think before you sign those loan papers.

Your friend,

Collin

According to the eternal perspective of the gospel, much of what we spend our time on are complete trivialities. But when we become believers conforming to the image of Christ, we do not simply exchange these trivialities for extra free time. On the contrary: the gospel opens our eyes to many needs to which we were blind beforehand. Observing this reality, the great court preacher and devotional writer Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) once wrote:

[As Christians] we have a great work to do, many enemies to conquer, many evils to prevent, much danger to run through, many difficulties to be mastered, many necessities to serve, many children to provide for, many friends to support, many poor to relieve, and many diseases to cure; besides the needs of nature and of relation, our private and our public cares, and the duties of the world.

Taylor explains that, because of the all-encompassing nature of Christianity's message, and the responsibilities implicit in it, Christians ought to organize their calendars with a lot of care. Knowing that the battle may be won or lost in the design of our days, he spent the first pages of his book The Rules and Exercises of Holy Living (1645) arguing for several important ideas:

1. Life gives us extremely little time for explicitly religious activities.

Consider how much of our lives is taken up by the needs of nature; how many years are wholly spent, before we come to any use of reason; how many years more before that reason is useful to us to any purposes; how imperfect our discourse is made by our evil education, false principles, ill company, bad examples, and want of experience.

2. But all eternity is encapsulated in those few moments.

Although it cannot be enjoined, that the greatest part of our time be spent in the direct actions of devotion and religion, yet it will become not only a duty but a great providence, to lay aside, for the services of God and the businesses of the Spirit, as much as we can; because God rewards our minutes with long and eternal happiness. . . . No man is a better merchant than he that lays out his time upon God and his money upon the poor.

3. We will be called to account for all our minutes.

For every hour of our life, we must give account to the great Judge of men and angels. And this is it which our blessed Savior told us, that we must account for every idle word; not meaning, that every word which is not designed for edification shall be reckoned a sin; but that the time which we spend in our idle talking and unprofitable discoursing, that time which might and ought to have been employed to spiritual and useful purposes---that is to be accounted for.

4. The fact that your life is busy can be entirely misleading.

Idleness is the burial of a living man; an idle person being so useless to any purposes of God and man that he is like one that is dead; he lives only to spend his time and eat the fruits of the earth like [a] vermin. [And yet] a man may be very idly busy, and take great pains to so little purpose, that, in his labors and expense of time, he shall serve no end but of folly and vanity. There are some people who are busy; but it is, as Domitian was, in catching flies.

If the book from which these quotes were taken was all Taylor ever composed, one might conclude he was simply after something like a hyper-spiritualized, semi-legalistic version of the Four-Hour Work Week. But he followed up on his book on holy living with what was truly his greater work, a book called The Rules and Exercises of Holy Dying. In the first chapter of that work, Taylor says:

All the succession of time . . . and every contingency to every man and to every creature, doth preach our funeral sermon, and calls us to look and see how the old sexton, Time, throws up the earth, and digs a grave, where we must lay our sins or our sorrows, and sow our bodies, till they rise again in a fair or an intolerable eternity.

We aren't saved by long hours in prayer, or by years of helping others, or by stewarding our time well in general. We're saved by grace through Christ's life, death, and resurrection. But in the lives of those who seem to grasp that the best, time is usually treated with great care and passion. It is seen as a first opportunity to seek God's face, and a last opportunity to preach his love to the perishing. Here's hoping that Taylor's vision will make us grateful for the hours we have left and renew our vigor to carefully count the cost of squandering them.

Editors' Note: Everyone has an opinion about youth ministry. Parents, pastors, and the youth themselves have expectations and demands that don't always overlap. But the rash of dire statistics about the ineffectiveness of youth ministry has prompted rethinking in these ranks. So we devote one day per week this month to exploring several issues in youth ministry, including its history, problems, and biblical mandate. The Gospel Coalition thanks Cameron Cole and the leadership team of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry for their help in compiling this series. Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, will host their 2012 conference from August 9 to 11. Speakers Ray Ortlund, Timothy George, and Mary Willson will expound on the conference theme, "Adopted: The Beauty of Grace."

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The current generation of youth is an interesting one.

As I've worked with and studied about youth today, it seems safe to say that they are not members of the Enlightenment, nor do they hold the modern notion that Reason can lead us to all Truth that is just beyond the horizon of our current knowledge.

And yet what do they as a generation believe?

Though they are postmodern chronologically, I believe it would also be wrong to say that they are postmodern. Unlike postmoderns, they are desperate for a grand story to make sense of the world around them. They want meaning. They are desperate for a true hope.

But hope is an elusive target in the world. Many of their parents have put their hope in the economy, politics, and the military strength of America. Their children, however, see a failing economy, political unrest, and an ongoing terrorist threat. The future doesn't seem that rosy. So what's left for them to hope in if they don't have the future? The moment. And happiness is king of the moment.

Youth pursue happiness, but the means given by the world---shopping, entertainment, sex, social media---undermine the very endeavor. Pleasure is fleeting. Relations, often only surface deep, get messy quickly. Entertainment can't provide lasting satisfaction. In the end, happiness in the world is little more than momentary escape from the realities of the world.

Desperately Searching

Given the circumstances, it's no surprise that many youth are restless, insecure, jaded, and desperately searching for meaning to explain all the hurt and suffering they see around them, meaning for their very existence. Sadly, many within the church offer nothing more substantive than the vaporous teachings of the world. In some churches, "youth group" has become synonymous with over-the-top games, entertainment, and shallow teaching. They are told, yes, life here on earth is a mess, but don't worry, one day you'll die and go to heaven. There things will be right. In the meantime, want to see how many marshmallows I can stick in my mouth?

Do we really believe the faith of our youth is so pointless that the best God has for them now is a temporary escape from the world on Wednesday night and Sunday morning? This sort of ministry just reinforces a belief in the meaninglessness of this life.

Where are meaning and hope found? In Jesus.

I am firmly convinced that what today's youth need most is the gospel of Christ Jesus the Lord. He is the one in whom the fullness of God is found, and he's the one in whom we are filled (Col 2:9-10). Moreover, he is the one who gives meaning to this life.

He didn't come to escape the world but to redeem it. When you read the Gospels, you see the way in which Jesus and his kingdom brought redemption to this world by overcoming physical evil (emotional and physical sickness), metaphysical evil (Satan and the demons), and moral evil (sin).

And the amazing message of the gospel is that we are transferred into Jesus' kingdom of redemption and the forgiveness of sin (Col 1:13-14), a kingdom we pray comes "on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10). It's a kingdom of meaning for today that heals the broken and strengthens the tempted as they live in the world (but are not of the world).

This is why, then, Paul pleas for the early Christians in Colossae to "walk in [Jesus], rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Col 2:7).

But the assumption Paul makes is that all Christians---including young ones---have been taught this kingdom-bringing Jesus,the Messiah as presented in the Old and New Testaments. This is the Jesus in whom youth today can truly root their faith and be fed, grown, and established.

His People, the Church

Where is Jesus found? In the worship of his people, the church. As others have said, the way we come to know Jesus is through the means he gave us: Scripture, true Christian fellowship, the sacraments, and prayer. These are the practices that by faith renew their minds in such a way that enables youth to view and live in the world with purpose and meaning as followers of Jesus. These are the practices that by faith force youth from their technologically imposed isolation, discourage their entitlement, and lead them to a spirit of humility and repentance. These are the practices that by faith expose their dependence on Jesus and remind them of their need for grace.

And these are the practices that are to define our worship as the church. Certainly, some of these practices can take place in youth-only venues, but at its heart, these are full-body practices of the corporate church: young and old worshiping together.

I love youth ministry, I really do. But the thing is, we have to be sure that we don't segregate the youth for our sake and theirs. They are part of the body of Christ too, and no part of the body can remain healthy if one of its members is cut off and put to the side. If we segregate the youth, not only do we lose all they have to teach us, but we also inadvertently teach them that the church is really only for adults---those who are married and have families of their own. And then we wonder why they don't get involved in church as college students or young singles, when in reality, we've been telling them all along that the church isn't yet for them.

My prayer is that as we minister to a generation starving for meaning, we won't lose sight of the reality that what these youth need is Jesus, and that he is most fully offered within the community of the church, of which they are a vital part.

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Also in the series on youth ministry:

• A Brief History of Youth Ministry by Dave Wright
• MTD: Not Just a Problem with Youth Ministry by Brian H. Cosby
• Youth Ministry's Tendency Toward Legalism by Cameron Cole
• Why We Need Youth Ministry by Paul Martin

Editors' Note: Everyone has an opinion about youth ministry. Parents, pastors, and the youth themselves have expectations and demands that don't always overlap. But the rash of dire statistics about the ineffectiveness of youth ministry has prompted rethinking in these ranks. So we devote one day per week this month to exploring several issues in youth ministry, including its history, problems, and biblical mandate. The Gospel Coalition thanks Cameron Cole and the leadership team of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry for their help in compiling this series. Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, will host their 2012 conference from August 9 to 11. Speakers Ray Ortlund, Timothy George, and Mary Willson will expound on the conference theme, "Adopted: The Beauty of Grace."

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So much of today's thinking in youth ministry is different than it was 20 years ago. Eating goldfish, iPod incentives, fog machines, and even chubby bunny are being reconsidered as the profession of youth ministry grows up. While it's easy to find a local youth group that still practices some of these bygone techniques, more and more ministries are changing. The important question coming out of this new era of thought is a simple one: Why does youth ministry exist?

Two thousand years ago, Jewish children had a clear path to adulthood that included youth ministry. The local synagogue would hire a rabbi whose primary role was educating children. Starting at age 4 or 5 (Beth Sefer) children would learn, read, write, and memorize the Torah. At age 10, having memorized the Torah, children would either spend more time at home learning the family trade or move towards the path of the rabbi. Either path led to an eventual acknowledgment of adulthood at age 30 for men. Culture considered the time in between the period in preparation for adulthood, and the synagogue was invested in that stage of life.

It's doubtful that ancient rabbis ate live fish to encourage their students. It's possible, though unlikely, that they stuffed as many honey-coated wafers in their mouths as possible to prove their rabbinic mastery. What seems clear is that youth ministry existed long before Young Life. Understanding this paradigm adds a bit of depth to the popular thinking that parents should be the only (not primary) spiritual directors for children.

Into the Present

Present-day youth ministry hardly resembles its ancient roots. Much of the discipleship we see modeled by Jesus in the Bible has been forsaken in the modern church. Consumeristic, attractional models of the church have flourished in Western culture. Youth ministry is also at least partly responsible for the most biblically illiterate, unchurched generation of Americans. Fewer and fewer young adults return to the church after they leave home. Caught in that paradigm, very few of us would belabor the end of youth ministry.

Just as it was in Jesus' day, young adults (and their parents) need help. The church would be suicidal to abandon a generation based on the failing, outdated model of youth ministry.  I see several necessities for the church today.

1. Youth ministry exists because it is needed.

The needs of adolescents are not contested by many of the best minds in the church and psychology. Robert Epstein in Teen 2.0 makes a strong case for cultivating this generation. "Young people should be extended full adult rights and responsibilities in each of a number of different areas as soon as they can demonstrate appropriate competence in each area." The church, if it wants spiritual depth, must reach out to teenagers and help them mature in their faith.

2. What worked in the past can work today.

Jesus modeled one of the best practices for the church. His discipleship did not depend on the latest book, the newest game, or the best icebreaker. Instead, his model relied on the spiritual health of the leader, and his willingness to spend time investing himself, his love, and his truth in them.

3. Resistance is futile.

The church in its current iteration resists change. Youth pastors trying to make changes for too many years usually have met resistance from church leaders. Still, newer practices in youth ministry are driving efforts to foster spiritual maturity, helping church leaders see the benefit of youth ministry that makes disciples.

Where Does This Leave the Church?

Youth ministry is a cultural phenomenon, but that does not negate its usefulness. Youth ministry will continue to evolve, but it will be needed as long as young people and their families struggle with bringing them fully into adulthood and spiritual maturity.

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Also in the series on youth ministry:

• A Brief History of Youth Ministry by Dave Wright
• MTD: Not Just a Problem with Youth Ministry by Brian H. Cosby
• Youth Ministry's Tendency Toward Legalism by Cameron Cole
• Youth Need the Church, and the Church Needs Youth by Mark A. Howard

The topic of theophany is often neglected in biblical and theological studies, though it is very important. Theophanies are instances of divine self-revelation in which God manifests himself to humans (the word "theophany," which means "appearance of God," comes from the Greek roots theo [God] and phaino [to appear]). While theophanies occur in different forms in Scripture, the content of a theophany is always the same. Theophanies consistently show God graciously revealing himself and his covenantal promises to his people.

Types of Theophanies

Mosaic Theophanies: No figure in Scripture had as many encounters with God through theophanies as Moses. God appeared to Moses in the fire of a burning bush (Ex. 3:1-6), causing Moses to hide his face. At Mt. Sinai, Moses went up to the mountaintop to worship God. He saw God at a distance and was invited into God's presence, remaining there for 40 days. Later, Moses met "face to face" with God (Ex. 33:11; cf. Num. 14:14; Deut. 34:10). This expression hints at the intimate nature of theophanies. Even though Moses experienced a special and intimate relationship with God, he did not experience full revelation. Moses asked God to reveal his full glory to him, but God refused, telling Moses that no one could see God's face and live (Ex. 33:20). So God passed by Moses, allowing him to see his back (Ex. 33:21-23).

Judgment Theophanies: Many scholars consider Genesis 3:8 to be the first theophany in Scripture. Adam and Eve heard the Lord walking in the garden and hid themselves from his presence. Gordon-Conwell professor Jeffrey Niehaus translates the phrase "cool of the day" as "in the wind of the storm," based on a rare use of a specific Hebrew word. God often appeared in a threatening form when he was coming to bring judgment. After Adam and Eve sinned, God's presence was dreadful, declaring judgment for their wrongdoing. Similarly, God revealed himself as a warrior before the Israelites overtook Jericho (Josh. 5:13-15). As Tremper Longman writes, a judgment theophany, "though always threatening, brings both curse and fear to God's enemies and blessing and comfort to God's people (Na. 1:1-9)."

Covenant Theophanies: God's appearances to individuals in the Old Testament were frequently connected to his covenantal dealings with them. Specifically, God revealed himself in theophanies to provide assurance that he would maintain his end of the covenant (Gen. 26:24; 28:12-13; 35:1, 9; 48:3). For example, after Abraham arrived at Canaan, God appeared to him, promising that Abraham's offspring would inherit the land (Gen. 12:7) in accordance with God's covenant promises. God appeared to Abraham in human form before Isaac's birth, assuring Abraham and Sarah that they would conceive a child in fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham. Additionally, God manifested himself in human form to wrestle Jacob in order to get him to embrace his covenant blessing (Gen. 32:24). By the end of the narration, Jacob is certain that he had met God "face to face" (Gen. 32:30).

The Ultimate Theophany

God's self-revelation culminates in the incarnation of Jesus, making him the ultimate theophany. Those who saw the face of Jesus saw the Father (John 14:9), experiencing a much more profound theophany than Moses did. Moses asked to see God's glory, and those who lived with Jesus received what Moses had asked for (John 1:18). Carl Henry writes in God, Revelation, Authority:

The New Testament channels all interest in the theophanies of God into the divine manifestation in Jesus Christ; the Old Testament (Septuagint) term for theophanic appearances is, in fact, used of the resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ (ōphthē, 1 Cor. 15:5-8).

Jesus is also the ultimate "judgment theophany." He declares judgment on those who reject him (John 3:18) yet provides comfort and blessing for those who would come to him and receive the mercy of God. Jesus brings judgment by revealing the high demands of God's righteousness (Matt. 5:48) and the depths our desperate condition under sin; his substitutionary death reveals the weight of the curse, which could only be lifted through the death of the Son of God: "By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh" (Rom. 8:3). This is the ultimate judgment theophany, one that leads to hope and salvation.

Again, Jesus is the ultimate "covenant theophany." Jesus, as God, ushered in the final covenant in "in his blood" (Matt 26:28), the new covenant. In Jesus, God himself looked into the eyes of his disciples and promised to be true to his word. Jesus reveals the ultimate, eternal covenant (Heb. 13:20) between God and his people.

Why Do Theophanies Matter?

1. God is with us. Theophanies remind us of the famous words of Francis Schaeffer: "He is there and he is not silent." God has not and will not leave his people to suffer in isolation. He will "descend far beneath his loftiness," as John Calvin said, and reassure us that he will do as he promised. "I will be their God and they will be my people" (Jer. 24:7) summarizes the covenant promise that runs all through the Bible, and theophanies point to this comforting reality.

2. God is holy, awesome, and majestic. Theophanies should humble us. Our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). All the various pictures of Yahweh in the Old Testament highlight this truth. Theophanies, according to Walter Elwell and Barry Beitzel, "conveyed a sense of the awesome majesty and power of God who is to be approached only with reverence and humility according to divinely prescribed procedures." Ultimately, God's holiness is most clearly seen in his wrath against sin, revealed and satisfied at the cross of Jesus.

3. God condescends to us. Theophanies point to God's gracious condescension to our weakness. Theophanies are visual---they give tangible and physical proof of God. In a sense, they are God "writing it in the sky" for us. Though God wants us to trust him even when we can't see him ("Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed," John 20:29), theophanies offer a glimpse into the heart of our God who graciously condescends to help and comfort those who join Thomas in unbelief.

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Editor's Note: The Gospel Coalition's upcoming women's conference, June 22 to 24 in Orlando, is themed Here Is Our God! God's Revelation of Himself in Scripture. Speakers such as Tim Keller, Don Carson, Kathleen Nielson, John Piper, and Nancy Leigh DeMoss will teach about many of the great theophanies of Scripture.

As I enter my fifth year of pastoral ministry, I will be the first to say I have much to learn. Even so, by God's grace, I have learned some important lessons---three of which related to the Word and ministry I share here.

The Word Does the Work

In 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Paul takes time to remind his young protégé of the power, authority, and utter sufficiency of Scripture for "teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." The following charge is based on the power and sufficiency of the Word: Timothy must commit himself to the preaching of that Word.

Paul's admonition reminds us in pastoral ministry that when we forget that the Word does the work, we are lost. It is God's Word that holds power and sufficiency---power to touch and change people's hearts by the Spirit, and sufficiency to accomplish God's sanctifying work. As pastors, we need to trust that God's Word does the work.

As a youth pastor, I've certainly felt the pull to let something else---really, anything else---dictate what I'm teaching to my students. Yet I have humbly learned that God's Word does the work; I need to get myself under that Word and speak it faithfully. Our best teaching series in our youth ministry thus far was actually not even really a "teaching" series but a "live" Bible study in the book of Philippians. We spent 40 minutes each Wednesday night asking simple questions of the text together and allowing God's Word to speak to us. And God's Word did its work in the lives of the students. I need to let God's work dictate what I'm doing in teaching and leading. I need to unleash the real power and let it do the work.

The Word Does Its Work Best in the Context of Relationship

God's Word does the work---but what if the people do not show up to hear it? Deep relationships help God's Word to take root in people's lives. In our ministry, the students who have grown in Christian maturity, holiness, and knowledge have been aided by genuine friendships. The relationships became the fertile ground for Word ministry to accomplish its purpose. The ministry of the Word and the growth of the gospel in people's lives is the end game, but people almost always get there through relationships.

Preach the Word up front, yes, but engage in gospel ministry with people in smaller groups and one-on-one. For a beautiful example of how this can look in the ministry of an ordinary pastor, read this wonderful little story by Barry Cooper. David Helm, in his book One-to-One Bible Reading, also offers some valuable insights and tools.

The Word Does Its Work as We Work Hard

You may have heard it said that the pastorate is a place where lazy men hide. The saying is a bit harsh, but it is unfortunately true in some cases. Being a lazy pastor is quite easy, actually. You just create an illusion of extreme busyness, importance, and stress, all the while actually doing very little work. This must never be! Men called to ministry should work harder than everyone else. We are called to excellence, and while the results belong to God, shame on us if we do not spend ourselves for the sake of the growth of the gospel in our churches.

At our church, the supervising pastors ask us, "How are you working hard and maximizing your time for the sake of the gospel and the church?" It is not unspiritual for pastors to talk about topics such as efficiency and productivity. We need to get up and go to work. We need to work hard to get things done for the sake of the gospel and the growth of Christ's kingdom. The results are his; the labor is ours.

These lessons are not profound, but I do hope that they ring true for those of you who are seeking to faithfully labor as Word ministers. By God's grace, for as many years as he gives me in pastoral ministry, I hope to put myself under his Word and allow it to accomplish his purposes in the lives of my people. I hope to do all I can to build and encourage deep relationships in my ministry---fertile ground where Word ministry can grow, thrive, and bear fruit. And I want to---for God's eyes alone---work hard at all of this, spending myself for the wonderful Word work to which he has called us as gospel ministers.

There's a saying in Nebraska: "If you don't like the weather then wait a minute." It is not surprising to run your heater and air conditioner in the same day. But such variable weather tends to coincide with stable public relations. This is why it is so interesting to consider the stormy story of University of Nebraska assistant football coach Ron Brown.

You may recall Brown as the eye of the hurricane in the aftermath of the horrific Penn State sex scandal last fall. Nebraska played Penn State the weekend after the story broke. Surrounded by clouds of despair, Brown, an outspoken evangelical, led a prayer meeting of players, coaches, and officials at midfield. He also provided clarity and biblical perspective during the week. Brown's Christian worldview and witness were, as many said, the highlight of the day.

Six months later Brown finds himself in the headlines again. Only this time he is not being applauded but assailed for these same evangelical convictions.

In late March the Omaha City Council held a public hearing concerning an amendment to their anti-discrimination ordinance to add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The law already provides protection from discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, and disability. Brown attended the hearing and voiced his opposition to the amendment.

A host of national outlets have picked up the AP story about backlash against Brown. I recently visited with Brown to get his thoughts on what happened and why he spoke up.

Personal Encouragement

Ron Brown is fearless. At least he seems so. He lives his Christian life like he played as a college and NFL defensive back. Like a roving safety, Brown defends his ground, looks for breakdowns, and tackles the opposition. His love of Christ trumps all. It is amazing to read stories in an Omaha newspaper about how he has won over a Muslim running back by his daily faithfulness. I also hear many more stories through friends close to him of steady, intentional Christian living. Therefore, before we observe or say anything else we can be challenged and encouraged. This guy is a rare jewel in contemporary evangelicalism. And he is living it out in a media fishbowl.

I asked Brown why he is so bold, so outspoken. He responded,

Jesus said, "Whoever desires to save his life shall lose it. If you deny me before me then I will deny you before my Father." My greatest burden is not losing my job or what people might say about me. My greatest burden is faithfulness. I want to be faithful. I want to see the body of Christ be faithful. I want to see unbelievers come to Christ.

Brown is 100 percent Division I football coach and 100 percent preacher. When he talks you want to strap on the spiritual helmet and get in the game.

Clarity Is Necessary

Why would the writer say this? Brown has a reputation for boldly speaking out on moral issues, and we have come to expect it.

Why is this a concern? Because many, like this columnist, hear a list of "do's" and "don'ts" in his soundbites and statements. This is where we all should be listening to those who listen to us. Are they hearing gospel or moralism? Are we preaching the gospel of what Jesus did or what we need to do/not do?

D. A. Carson has helpfully said, "It is easy to sound prophetic from the margins, what we need is to be prophetic from the center." That is, preaching against issues that flow out of a rejection of the gospel (sexual sin, abortion, etc) are peripheral and must be addressed by means of the core gospel, that which is of first importance (1 Cor. 15:3-5).

I asked Brown about the danger of his message being reduced merely to moralism. Brown pounced on this like an open-field tackle:

I do not want to see a moral Nebraska. I want to see a Nebraska and a country transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why I do all of this. Everything is about getting the truth of Jesus Christ out.

Brown's view of homosexuals does not emerge clearly in this media dust-up. Many have argued that he is hateful towards gays. He told me:

That's not true. It is not all about seeing homosexuals become hetereosexuals. This is not the message of the gospel. The gospel is about all types of sinners (like me) who are unbelievers becoming believers. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not discriminatory, it is all inclusive: we are all sinners. I am pretty consistent in talking to all types of people about Christ. This is the thing that encourages me in this whole thing: the gospel of Christ is being presented. God will forgive people. He will give a clean-slate to all who turn from sin and trust in Jesus.

As you listen to Brown talk about his burden for the gospel to take root, and then you re-read the soundbites, you feel the burden of Carson's words all the more: we must be prophetic from the center. They will hear what we are passionate about. We have to keep hitting those gospel notes, because it is a strange sound to people who do not yet recognize the tune.

Cultural Observation

There is much we could conclude from this situation, but I'll highlight just two observations.

First, if Brown had spoken in favor of the amendment, media would not have protested. Brown boldly proclaimed, "This offends God." Consequently, many people were offended (including the university chancellor). People really are interested in gagging God. They don't want to recognize authority outside themselves. This response illustrates Romans 1:18-25. There is no consideration about offending the Creator, only consideration about the possibility of offending creatures. God help us. Brown was pretty fired up about this point.

In the famous battle between David and Goliath there was Goliath, the enemy to God and his people; David, the young under-sized boy; and the cowardly Jewish army. Too often American evangelicals look like a cowering army instead of a zealous David. There is opposition to God and his Word. How can we just hang our heads and give up?!

Second, there is back story to Brown's public appearance. The coach has received some pretty intense public chin-music from Harvey Perlman, chancellor of the University of Nebraska. Many local experts are opining that Perlman is fed up with the coach's exploits. In other words, Brown might get fired over this incident. The university may regard Brown as a liability. In other words, the University of Nebraska, in the name of tolerance, would be intolerant of his so-called intolerance. If that sounds like an postmodern end-around, you heard correctly. The modern understanding of tolerance pivots on the fact that you must tolerate everyone's views except those who disagree with this premise. This is not only intellectually but also morally problematic.

To make matters more complicated, in a few days the Lincoln City Council will consider the same ordinance. Everyone wonders if Coach Brown will speak out against the amendment, as he did in Omaha. "I'm praying about that," Brown told me. "I want to draw as much attention to Christ as I can. I also want to think about the best ways to do that." If for whatever reason Brown doesn't go, he should not worry about being called a coward. If he does go, may the gospel be made clear in all of its grace-saturated glory.

Obvious Tension

Christians living in a secular world have endless opportunities for gospel engagement. Where and when do we go? Furthermore, how do we speak out against moral issues in an increasingly secular culture? I can't pretend to answer these things once and for all. There is an obvious tension here the seems to pit faithfulness against pragmatism. Christians need to pray for wisdom and boldness as we endeavor to be clearly declaring and demonstrating the gospel.

Unlike Nebraska weather, this priority never changes. May God be pleased to use Brown and the rest of us to advance the gospel.