READERS: I am in the process of using a bunch of questions that I have been asked on Facebook, to answer them as blog posts. They will be very controversial in some cases and I do not claim to be always right. But I am always sincere and I do care. Pray for me and I hope you enjoy and are blessed, encouraged, edified and or challenged. I am very much FOR defending the preacher, the ministry, the pulpit, the position, the calling and the anointing BUT please, people, STOP defending the ignorant things that some of us say.
If your children get upset at or question when a minister PREACHES something that cannot be backed up with scripture, DO NOT scold the kid. TEACH them that the ministry is important, is of God, men make mistakes and be careful to not attack or get offended. BUT ALSO TEACH THEM that every time a man of God says something in the pulpit that it is not necessarily the gospel truth. Let them speak their minds to you, hear their side of what is going on. If you try to MAKE every young person accept every goofy thing that is said in the pulpit you will destroy them AND destroy their confidence in YOU AND THE MINISTRY.
These kids are far smarter than we often give them credit for. They get it!!! When we say "Bring your lost friends, we want to help them" and then they bring them and we preach about "if you have Facebook you can't have the Holy Ghost" and "for or against neckties" or "for or against panty hose or leggings" or "spiked hair is queer" and their friends leave, not under conviction, not helped with their addictions, just confused and probably scared or angry. They get it! If you want this generation to make it, don't encourage them to, take them to and pay for them to attend services where knuckleheads spew things that are not even meant to help them but are rather meant to "make a place or a name" for the man saying them and then get upset with the kids if they don't agree with it or didn't get help from it.
How are you going to teach this next generation about rebellion and submission to the Bible if you don't differentiate between real rebellion and honest confusion or submission to God and submission to a man, a group or a "way"? I hear a lot of church folks complaining about the youth but then we feed them a bunch of junk again and when they sincerely try to figure out what is right and what is wrong....we rebuke them for "questioning the preacher".
Again, I am TOTALLY AGAINST speaking out directly against a man of God, but I am not going to try to force my children or any others that I have influence over to keep quiet and not try to help influence their generation to do better than mine. I am VERY PROUD OF OUR CHILDREN and I respect their opinions greatly.
Two quick examples. #1 One of our children went to a large youth camp this year and (as always) we discussed it when they came back. My child said, "The fellowship was great. Most of the preaching was very good, convicting and encouraging. I prayed and got help. There was the normal stupid stuff though too. Guys getting up there and preaching their personal convictions at a camp with people from “supposedly” every walk of life. Why do they do that Dad? Why do they put those same guys up there knowing that they will do that and we will have to sit through it and then some of my friends will get mad and complain and use that as an excuse to not stay in good, blah blah. Don't they know? Don’t the Pastors and people running the meetings know?" See, they get it! The only ones pretending that it's not really happening sometimes are us “adults”. #2 One of my children went to a different large youth camp this year and came back and (as always) we discussed it. My child said an amazing and insightful thing. "That was an awesome camp Dad. It was for all of the kids that would get killed at all the other camps that you let us go to." Think about it. Think long and hard about it.
This is not meant to attack or target any person or group of persons. I literally love everybody. I know that I risk getting crucified AGAIN over this but I can't help but say it for 2 reasons. #1 We all go through these things every single year and then there is a bombardment of gossip, phone calls, whispering conversation in huddles at the back of the church, just before and just after service...but if anybody dare say anything publicly then that person gets scolded and attacked for "saying the things that we were already thinking or saying in private". Come on people. Let's all grow up together. #2 Somebody has to stand up for the GOOD kids. If the kids are being punks and looking for excuses then they will ultimately get what they deserve BUT there are A LOT OF GOOD KIDS THAT ARE GETTING THROWN UNDER THE BUS for not understanding and not going along with all the stupid rhetoric that comes across our pulpits at times. I hope you young people realize that I am throwing myself to the wolves for you....again....;)).
I am FOR the preachers, for the youth camps, for the youth camp board Members and directors, I am FOR the youth group leaders and the parents and the Pastor's. If you know me, you know this to be true. But I am not for political, pulpit posturing at the cost of young lives. There is a lot going around right now, so if I said something that appears to target any particular person, I apologize in advance. This is not a hit or a push back on any particular individual or group. I have made plenty of my share of stupid mistakes, even and especially in the pulpit. To this day I am very glad for Godly people that questioned me and challenged me to see my mistakes and correct them.
Lastly I want to say this. DO NOT use this post as a chance to comment all of your hate and past bad experiences and attack one another or attempt to defend me if someone attacks me. I rarely delete comments unless they are super ugly but I will delete comments on this post. God bless everyone!
This is the opinions of Rev. D. Todd Sloggett as used in ministry to the Least, the Last and the Lost. To understand more about our ministries, visit us at www.holinessmissionstoamerica.com. Contact me at toddsloggett@holinessmissionstoamerica.com or contact us or donate to our ministries at HMA PO Box 12 Sapulpa, OK 74067.
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