The Rock Junior High

Teeth Without Toothpaste

So... I'm a little worried that noone will read this because this picture is too gross - but if you can make it stay with me!

Teeth without toothpaste - gross, right?  Your teeth will die and fall right out of your head if you don't take care of them!  That sucks...  Teeth without toothpaste - it's no good.  Also on the list of things that are no good - faith without works.  Maybe you've heard that phrase ("faith without works") before - take a second to think about what it means.  Saying you love God, that you're a Chrisitan - but never doing anything about it.  Saying that you believe the stuff that Jesus Christ taught - but acting every day like every second of your time should be spent on your own amusement.

Nobody likes the idea of all their teeth falling out, eh?  That's why we brush our teeth... that, and nasty breath.  So... what are the consequences when we have faith without works - when we say we're Christians, but we don't act like it?

Come on Sunday and find out... or - read below if your antsy...

Tuesday - James 2:1-7 | Wednesday - James 2:8-13 | Thursday - James 2:14-17 | Friday - James 2:18-20 | Saturday - James 2:21-26

www.Godtube.com?

OK - slow download, but pretty funny - especially the lyrics...

What Makes YOU Angry Makes me Angry!

Before I even get started, let me just say that it's hard to find an "angry Jesus" picture online...  In most pictures he just looks like he's bored -or like in this one to the left, like he's trying to see the hidden picture inside one of those irritating posters at the mall...

It makes sense though, it's much nicer to think of Him as "Dear Lord Baby Jesus"  (think: Talladega Nights) rather than, all-powerful angry Diety Who has been known to turn people into piles of salt (easily one of the strangest stories in the Bible - you've been warned.)  Whether it's nice to think about or not, the point's pretty clear - God gets angry!

One of the things I think we can agree He gets angry about is the sex trafficking industry.  To give you an idea of how big this problem is, the US Department of Justice estimates that 600,000 - 800,000 people (70% female and 50% are children) are trafficked (sold) every year. To put that number in perspective for you those people could fill all of the seats in Safeco Field between 13-17 times.

Here's the good news, somebody's doing something about it - and in a small way, we can help!  Drop Dead Gorgeous is an organization that provides hygiene and beauty supplies to people rescued from the sex trafficking industry.  Can we make a point over then next two weeks to bring in supplies that we can mail to their distribution center in Georgia?  It won't take much effort - just take a look at the Drop Dead Gorgeous beauty kit list (Download ddg_list.pdf)   and grab one or two things to bring in on Sunday.  It's a small gesture, but an important one!

This Sunday - we're talking about what makes Jesus angry, and what we should do about it!

I'll post something a bit more light-hearted next week...

Read...
Monday: Ephesians 2:8-10 | Tuesday: Galatians 2:16 | Wednesday: James 2:1-7 | Thursday: James 2:8-13 | Friday: James 2:14-19 | Saturday: James 2:20-26  (If you get confused about who  Abraham and Rahab are - give me a call!)

When Bananas Attack!!!

What could possibly have made this poorly drawn banana so angry?!  Is it the injustice of the gargantuan success of the cavendish banana in North America over the equally tasty plantain?  Is it the only surviving banana from a family bunch that was ripped apart, crushed into pulp, and baked at 350 degrees until it became banana bread?  Has it's tree been invaded by half-starved banana-crazed monkeys? 

Poorly Drawn Angry Banana, I have some advice for you...  take it easy!  From personal experience, I can tell you, we sometimes get upset over things that just don't matter.  Not that getting angry is always wrong... it's just that most of the time, we direct our anger at the wrong things!  We get mad when a friend forgets to call us back - but  couldn't care less about it when someone in our group puts down/humiliates the dorky, lonely kid that nobody talks to at lunch.  We get mad when our parents won't let us go somewhere fun, but look the other way if a friend shoplifts something small from the store.

The bottom line is: most of the time when I get mad, it's because something I don't like happened to ME!  Someone offended ME!  Someone hurt MY feelings!  ME ME ME ME ME!!!  Imagine the person you could be if you were so unselfish that you only ever got mad at the rotten stuff that happened to other people!  Would you even recognize yourself?!  I know I wouldn't recognize me!  What does the angry banana have to do with any of this?  Nothing.  I just liked the picture.

Reading Your Bible is Good for You:

Monday: Mark 3:1-6 | Tuesday: Hebrews 12:1-3 | Wednesday: Hebrews 12:4-11 | Thursday: Hebrews 12:12-15 | Friday: Romans 12:9-21 | Saturday: Philippians 2:1-8 

Christians and Poop

This Sunday - we're watching a movie... not just any movie, a movie about Christians and poop.  "A Man Called Norman" is a movie about a weird old man, that lives in a weird old house, that all the nice normal Christian people in his hometown treat like poop.

Reading this week, as you may have guessed, is about not being one of those nice normal Christian people that treat people who have nothing to offer them... like poop.

Does the Bible really say, "Don't treat people like poop?"  It goes even further!!!  The Bible says that the rotten stuff we do to people, is like doing rotten stuff to Jesus Christ!  The good news is, the good stuff we do for people, is like doing good stuff for Jesus Christ...  it's in there - take a look...

Thursday - Matthew 25:31-40 | Friday - Matthew 25:41-46 | Saturday - James 4:17

PS - Sorry I'm so late with the reading schedule - work has been insane this week (Had to work Monday,  left the office at 11:45 last night...blah-blah-blah.  I am sorry though!!!