Contents
1. 180 News
2. Something for Your Heart
3. Surf Report
4. Birthdays
5. Video of The Week
6. Forgettable Fact
7. Potent Quotables
8. Uh, That's Funny?
1. 180 NEWS
Guys Grub Camp
Our middle school guys had a great time up on the Clackamas River at Grub Camp this last weekend.
Want to see some of what we did? Check out the pictures here.
We had great times of sitting around the fire, playing and rafting in the river, fishing, and to top it all off got to witness the baptism of Kip Koenig! Great time!
The Burn
Last Wednesday was an incredible night of worship at The Burn! We joined three other youth groups over at Tigard Church of God for a night including a great BBQ, volleyball, badminton, basketball, frisbee, and an amazing time of worship.
Our worship time was led by Pastor Aaron and team, and was then followed by a great time of prayer for our community.
If you have not yet joined us for a Burn, make sure you mark you calendar now for Wednesday, September 17 for our next one. We are excited about what God is doing in His Church here in Tigard!
Mission Trips
Pray for our High School Mexico Outreach Team as they leave tomorrow for 11 days in Ensenada Mexico. To see who is on the team and learn how you can pray specifically for each member visit their online prayer guide.
Pray for our Middle School Ministry Team as they leave next Monday, August 4th, for 5 days of ministering to the needy in the Newberg area. The team will be living on the campus of George Fox University and will be a part of the Student Life camp taking place there.
Due to the mission trips, there will be no 180 Newsletter published next week.
2. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
WHAT IS ABSOLUTE TRUTH?
In formal discussion groups with students, I've asked them to define "absolute truth" as a group. I approach the whiteboard with marker in hand, ready to scribble down their profound answers.
"What," I ask, "is absolute truth?"
"When you think that...um, when..." This student's thought trails off, and he looks at the ceiling with a sigh.
"Reality."
"What you like."
"What you believe."
Then I turn to the adults in the group and ask the same question.
One leader remarks, "When what you think is true?"
Oops. We can't use the word we're defining as part of the definition. That's like defining sailing as, er, "to sail."
I've had adult leaders approach me and admit that students don't know how to define truth because their teachers don't know much about it, either.
I hope you feel a bit relieved by that. It's hard to believe in something if you don't even know what it is. It may not be your fault.
But you're still responsible to know what it is.
I'm confident that most teachers affirm absolute truth, even though they can't define it. They have a sense of what it is; however, that sense is not often clear enough to pass on to the next generation--your generation. Is there any wonder why students today don't know how to answer the question of whether or not there is absolute truth? We simply don't know what it is.
The definition of truth is quite simple, but it takes some thinking. Like the rules of tennis, truth is simple to understand. But you have to pay attention to start getting it. And no matter who you are, whether you're an A student or a D student, you can understand this and use it in your everyday world:
"Truth is an idea or a belief about something that shows up in the real world."
Or to put it another way, "truth is when an idea reflects the way the world really is."
Or to put it another way, "truth is an idea or a belief that is a fact."
Or more philosophically speaking--"truth is a proposition that corresponds to reality."
Whew, there's the definition! All of these say pretty much the same thing, just in different ways. Now reread these definitions to make sure you've got it in your head.
TRUTH EXAMPLES
Suppose I'm looking for my car keys. I usually have a hard time putting them in the same place twice. My wife, Jonalyn, set up a system in our home where the keys go in the key box near the door. But I keep forgetting about that system, and I only remember it when my keys are lost.
So I'm still looking for my car keys.
Upon walking into my study, I suddenly see the keys sitting on my desk. I see the keys. I now have the idea that the keys are sitting on the desk. Because the idea that the keys are sitting on the desk accurately reflects the fact that the keys are on the desk, I now have truth. My idea mirrors the way things are. My idea links with the facts, just as a rock climber links his carabiner with the piton drilled into the side of the mountain.
Suppose I'm planning to drive to Gino's Pizza in Laguna Beach. Unsure of where the restaurant is located, I go online and print out the directions. Then I follow every turn, and I arrive at the pizza place precisely as the map directs me. The map was true because the map reflects the way the roads really are.
Many times, however, those online maps have led me astray, and I've had to stop at gas stations to ask for the proper directions. In those moments, we'd probably call the map false. Why? Because it does not reflect the way the roads really are. (And my friends ate all the pizza because I was late.)
Since we're using the topic of driving, let's suppose my Jeep is in the shop for a flat tire. A few hours pass before I receive a phone call from my mechanic who says the work is complete.
Suddenly, a new idea comes into my mind that I have a repaired tire on my truck. I haven't actually seen the tire. I only have the idea of this repaired tire because my mechanic told me about it. My wife drives me to the shop. I pay the bill, take my keys, and go to my Jeep. I look down at the wheel sporting a freshly repaired tire. In that instant, the idea that my tire was repaired corresponds with the real repaired tire I'm looking at. In that moment--when my belief about the tire and the real tire link up together--I experience truth.
Truth is all about the content of ideas linking with the way the world is.
If this still isn't clear, go back a few paragraphs, read the examples again, and see if it doesn't make a little more sense to you.
The goal of this chapter (like all important things) is not for us to complete it quickly, but to understand it well. Give yourself the freedom to take your time on it. And always be willing to reread.
TRUTH IN ROMANCE
When Jonalyn first caught my eye, it was because she let her hair down--literally. She usually hid those beautiful, thick, brown curls by wearing her hair up. But one evening she let her hair down, and it caught my attention.
That's when I started talking with her more and sending e-mails to her.
I was getting the impression she liked me, too. I mean, after all, do people keep writing you back and calling you on the phone if they don't?
My belief that she liked me continued to grow, until one day I asked her to be my girlfriend. It took her a couple days to reply (and I felt as though I were dangling on the edge of a cliff), but she finally said yes.
In that moment of excitement, something happened (besides sparks flying). Truth happened. My belief that she liked me linked up with the reality that she did like me. I was a lucky guy.
Truth is everywhere, like the air we breathe. Even in our dating lives.
So let's review here: "Truth is when an idea links up with the real world." Such as those times when I found my keys, realized my tire was repaired, and discovered that my belief that Jonalyn liked me actually reflected the fact that she really did like me.
This definition of truth is so important--I cannot stress it enough. Burn the concept into your mind.
**
Taken from "Living with Questions" by Dale Fincher, copyright 2007 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
3. SURF REPORT
~ Love, Sex, and Dating Advice from Campus Life's Ignite
~ College: As Seen on TV
4. BIRTHDAYS
We've got two weeks of birthdays to celebrate this week! We wish the best of birthdays to Heather Grundy, Katie Vaughn, Chelsea Etherington, and Talon Perez. Hope you all have great birthdays!
5. VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Our middle school group has a great time at Wild Waves a couple of weeks ago. Here is how some of it looked!
6. FORGETTABLE FACT
At birth, a panda bear is smaller than a mouse.
7. POTENT QUOTABLES
"Life is an adventure in forgiveness."
~ Norman Cousins
"The fewer the words, the better the prayer."
~ Martin Luther
===========our|sponsor===========
LIVE TEEN BIBLE
This ain't your mom and dad's Bible. Write in it, draw in it, create in it, live in it. Express yourself as you discover God.
Check it out at here.
===========our|sponsor===========
EXPLORE THE HARD QUESTIONS THAT LEAD TO TRUTH
We all have questions--about life, God, heaven--but we haven't all found the answers yet. In this book, you'll discover how to navigate your big questions, and what the answers mean for your life and faith.
Learn more about or purchase "Living with Questions" here.
=================================
8. UH, THAT'S FUNNY?
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink what comes out"?
1. 180 News
2. Something for Your Heart
3. Surf Report
4. Birthdays
5. Video of The Week
6. Forgettable Fact
7. Potent Quotables
8. Uh, That's Funny?
1. 180 NEWS
Guys Grub Camp
Our middle school guys had a great time up on the Clackamas River at Grub Camp this last weekend.
Want to see some of what we did? Check out the pictures here.
We had great times of sitting around the fire, playing and rafting in the river, fishing, and to top it all off got to witness the baptism of Kip Koenig! Great time!
The Burn
Last Wednesday was an incredible night of worship at The Burn! We joined three other youth groups over at Tigard Church of God for a night including a great BBQ, volleyball, badminton, basketball, frisbee, and an amazing time of worship.Our worship time was led by Pastor Aaron and team, and was then followed by a great time of prayer for our community.
If you have not yet joined us for a Burn, make sure you mark you calendar now for Wednesday, September 17 for our next one. We are excited about what God is doing in His Church here in Tigard!
Mission Trips
Pray for our High School Mexico Outreach Team as they leave tomorrow for 11 days in Ensenada Mexico. To see who is on the team and learn how you can pray specifically for each member visit their online prayer guide.
Pray for our Middle School Ministry Team as they leave next Monday, August 4th, for 5 days of ministering to the needy in the Newberg area. The team will be living on the campus of George Fox University and will be a part of the Student Life camp taking place there.
Due to the mission trips, there will be no 180 Newsletter published next week.
2. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
WHAT IS ABSOLUTE TRUTH?
In formal discussion groups with students, I've asked them to define "absolute truth" as a group. I approach the whiteboard with marker in hand, ready to scribble down their profound answers.
"What," I ask, "is absolute truth?"
"When you think that...um, when..." This student's thought trails off, and he looks at the ceiling with a sigh.
"Reality."
"What you like."
"What you believe."
Then I turn to the adults in the group and ask the same question.
One leader remarks, "When what you think is true?"
Oops. We can't use the word we're defining as part of the definition. That's like defining sailing as, er, "to sail."
I've had adult leaders approach me and admit that students don't know how to define truth because their teachers don't know much about it, either.
I hope you feel a bit relieved by that. It's hard to believe in something if you don't even know what it is. It may not be your fault.
But you're still responsible to know what it is.
I'm confident that most teachers affirm absolute truth, even though they can't define it. They have a sense of what it is; however, that sense is not often clear enough to pass on to the next generation--your generation. Is there any wonder why students today don't know how to answer the question of whether or not there is absolute truth? We simply don't know what it is.
The definition of truth is quite simple, but it takes some thinking. Like the rules of tennis, truth is simple to understand. But you have to pay attention to start getting it. And no matter who you are, whether you're an A student or a D student, you can understand this and use it in your everyday world:
"Truth is an idea or a belief about something that shows up in the real world."
Or to put it another way, "truth is when an idea reflects the way the world really is."
Or to put it another way, "truth is an idea or a belief that is a fact."
Or more philosophically speaking--"truth is a proposition that corresponds to reality."
Whew, there's the definition! All of these say pretty much the same thing, just in different ways. Now reread these definitions to make sure you've got it in your head.
TRUTH EXAMPLES
Suppose I'm looking for my car keys. I usually have a hard time putting them in the same place twice. My wife, Jonalyn, set up a system in our home where the keys go in the key box near the door. But I keep forgetting about that system, and I only remember it when my keys are lost.
So I'm still looking for my car keys.
Upon walking into my study, I suddenly see the keys sitting on my desk. I see the keys. I now have the idea that the keys are sitting on the desk. Because the idea that the keys are sitting on the desk accurately reflects the fact that the keys are on the desk, I now have truth. My idea mirrors the way things are. My idea links with the facts, just as a rock climber links his carabiner with the piton drilled into the side of the mountain.
Suppose I'm planning to drive to Gino's Pizza in Laguna Beach. Unsure of where the restaurant is located, I go online and print out the directions. Then I follow every turn, and I arrive at the pizza place precisely as the map directs me. The map was true because the map reflects the way the roads really are.
Many times, however, those online maps have led me astray, and I've had to stop at gas stations to ask for the proper directions. In those moments, we'd probably call the map false. Why? Because it does not reflect the way the roads really are. (And my friends ate all the pizza because I was late.)
Since we're using the topic of driving, let's suppose my Jeep is in the shop for a flat tire. A few hours pass before I receive a phone call from my mechanic who says the work is complete.
Suddenly, a new idea comes into my mind that I have a repaired tire on my truck. I haven't actually seen the tire. I only have the idea of this repaired tire because my mechanic told me about it. My wife drives me to the shop. I pay the bill, take my keys, and go to my Jeep. I look down at the wheel sporting a freshly repaired tire. In that instant, the idea that my tire was repaired corresponds with the real repaired tire I'm looking at. In that moment--when my belief about the tire and the real tire link up together--I experience truth.
Truth is all about the content of ideas linking with the way the world is.
If this still isn't clear, go back a few paragraphs, read the examples again, and see if it doesn't make a little more sense to you.
The goal of this chapter (like all important things) is not for us to complete it quickly, but to understand it well. Give yourself the freedom to take your time on it. And always be willing to reread.
TRUTH IN ROMANCE
When Jonalyn first caught my eye, it was because she let her hair down--literally. She usually hid those beautiful, thick, brown curls by wearing her hair up. But one evening she let her hair down, and it caught my attention.
That's when I started talking with her more and sending e-mails to her.
I was getting the impression she liked me, too. I mean, after all, do people keep writing you back and calling you on the phone if they don't?
My belief that she liked me continued to grow, until one day I asked her to be my girlfriend. It took her a couple days to reply (and I felt as though I were dangling on the edge of a cliff), but she finally said yes.
In that moment of excitement, something happened (besides sparks flying). Truth happened. My belief that she liked me linked up with the reality that she did like me. I was a lucky guy.
Truth is everywhere, like the air we breathe. Even in our dating lives.
So let's review here: "Truth is when an idea links up with the real world." Such as those times when I found my keys, realized my tire was repaired, and discovered that my belief that Jonalyn liked me actually reflected the fact that she really did like me.
This definition of truth is so important--I cannot stress it enough. Burn the concept into your mind.
**
Taken from "Living with Questions" by Dale Fincher, copyright 2007 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
3. SURF REPORT
~ Love, Sex, and Dating Advice from Campus Life's Ignite
~ College: As Seen on TV
4. BIRTHDAYS
We've got two weeks of birthdays to celebrate this week! We wish the best of birthdays to Heather Grundy, Katie Vaughn, Chelsea Etherington, and Talon Perez. Hope you all have great birthdays!
5. VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Our middle school group has a great time at Wild Waves a couple of weeks ago. Here is how some of it looked!
6. FORGETTABLE FACT
At birth, a panda bear is smaller than a mouse.
7. POTENT QUOTABLES
"Life is an adventure in forgiveness."
~ Norman Cousins
"The fewer the words, the better the prayer."
~ Martin Luther
===========our|sponsor===========
LIVE TEEN BIBLE
This ain't your mom and dad's Bible. Write in it, draw in it, create in it, live in it. Express yourself as you discover God.
Check it out at here.
===========our|sponsor===========
EXPLORE THE HARD QUESTIONS THAT LEAD TO TRUTH
We all have questions--about life, God, heaven--but we haven't all found the answers yet. In this book, you'll discover how to navigate your big questions, and what the answers mean for your life and faith.
Learn more about or purchase "Living with Questions" here.
=================================
8. UH, THAT'S FUNNY?
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink what comes out"?
