These past few months of reactivating back into full time ministry have been a breath of fresh air! Investing our days in discipling, listening, walking young people through deliverance, and teaching this next generation has brought life to Lisa and I. It has reminded us why we must lay our lives down for these kids.
I know so many avenues—facebook, from many pulpits, from leaders— proport that there is not much hope for this generation of “Millennials”. I hear a lot of cynicism and tearing down of who they are. I hear: they are leaving the Church, they are lazy, they have no direction, they want everything done for them, and on and on. While I have seen reasons for buying into these labels, I believe it is a set-up.
We have built models in the Church and business world that have set them up for failure, and all we want to do is blame them. If we are going to see a “movement” in this generation, it starts with us. It starts with the mothers, fathers, and grandparents that have given them broken systems.
We have fed these kids a soft gospel, and we have told them they were the greatest things on earth. We have built business models all around sex, around success and getting it now, and Church models that are full of prosperity, where God is a Santa Claus. We have fed a message that is the opposite of what the true gospel is. We have lied to them so much that they don’t know how to trust. They do not have a lot of inspiration, and they are confused.
And we did it to them.
Young people who are reading this: as a leader in your generation, I want to say something to you very clearly. I am sorry for lying to you— I take full responsibility for the hypocrisy we have fed you, the false gospel and the false hope, for giving you religion and not Jesus. I am sorry for all of the divorce, abuse and sin that we have imparted to your generation. We were wrong to tell you that you were the best and give you medals for mere participation. We have said God is one thing and made education the God of America. We did not tell you or show you how to take risks. We neglected to tell you to honor above everything else, and we did not demonstrate that character is much more important than your gifts or talents. We taught you to become victims because we are somehow.
For all of this and much more, I am sorry.
I also want to make it very clear to you that you are not a victim. You must take responsibility and put on your big girl and big boy pants. It’s time for you to trust again. It’s time for you to lay your lives down for something that matters. A generation reaches itself, and you must stand up and call your friends to a higher standard of living!
Young men: get off the couch. Put away your silly video games and social media, your porn. Money is not the answer, and your status does not matter.
Young ladies: you are worth much more than you have understood. Your body is not your own, your souls are way too valuable to be giving them away to every boy that pays attention to you. You are priceless, and you need to start acting like it!
Young people you cheat every time you look at your porn, and yet simultaneously wonder why your relationships don’t last?
Dads, moms, and grandparents please listen: we must turn our hearts back to these young people. We must demonstrate a life of integrity, fearing the Lord and doing what He asks us to do. The gospel is about suffering, perseverance, loving God and loving people just because He first loved us. It’s not about what He can do for you or how much He can bless you. Stop wasting your lives on playing Church, getting to retirement, golf and yourself.
Young people, you must turn your hearts back to us and honor anyway. No matter what happened to you, no matter how bad it has been, you have to find healing and forgiveness. You have a very important job to do, and it will cost you everything.
No more coddling you, and no more instant gratification. As Richard Rohr taught us;
Life is hard, you are not that important, your life is not about you and you are not in control!
There is an army of men and women that are waiting to disciple you. As we disciple you it will initiate your hearts into freedom for the first time! You will come alive in the fact that life is not about you, but you are all about life. We are all going to die, so let’s plant some Kingdom and lets set some people free from religion and into life to the full together!
It’s time for the hearts of the parents to turn to the children and the children hearts to turn back to the parents. (Mal 4:5-6)
Partner with the black’s and for a generation here
As you know we are living as “Missionaries” here in Spain. Your monthly support and one-time gifts is what sustains us as a family. Please consider investing in us and a generation. We are living with, teaching, training and mentoring our future leaders. Our Foundation is set up in our Michael’s name to honor his passion and a generation through New Horizons and is a public charity. You will receive a full tax-deduction when you partner with us. You are helping us set young men and women on a path of serving their generation with discipline, hard work and accountability. Thank you.
