This week at Link Year we got to hear Jefferson Bethke speak. He is the author of many famous books and is especially known for his spoken word videos. Here's one that you should check out:  

He has a bunch of other really cool videos on youtube that you should check out if you get the chance!

Jefferson Bethke spoke on several different topics this week. Two of my favorites were distortions of the Bible and idols.

1. Distortions of the Bible

Distortions of the Bible talks about how our view of the Bible effects not only the way we view God, but also the way we view ourselves. These examples are true, however in todays world we give them too much weight. One example Jefferson gave was if we view the Bible as a rule book then we start to view God as policeman and ourselves as a criminal. The problem with that concept is that it can cause us to feel guilt and shame, which is not of the Lord. Christianity is about more than just a bunch of rules. It is about the Lord's love for us even though we constantly fail us, and how He sent Jesus Christ down to save us from our sins. Another example he gave was how the Bible can sometimes be viewed as a road map to life and then we start to view God as a Santa Clause, this then puts us at the center of the story. The flaw with this concept is that we can at times expect God to give us what is on our list because we are at the center of the story. Another flaw with this concept is that we cannot bear the weight of being the center of the story, because we are by nature sinful beings.

2. Idols

God created us to bear His image as it says in Genesis 1:26. We are the only creature or plant or anything that God created that was created in His image. Therefore, we can say that thing that makes us human is that we are created in God's image. When we put something other than God on the throne of our life, we lose our humanity. An idol is anything we physically cannot live without. Idols are anything we try and find security, hope, or trust in when we should have all of those things in God. The funny thing about idols is that we give them their power of us, we allow them to have dominion and rule over our lives. God, who should be our idol, already possesses power; He already contains the power needed to reign over us. When God is over our lives there is going to be cleaning and maintenance, but if you put a different god or idol over your life, there is going to be rolling and decay. We become our idols as it says in Psalms 115. If our purpose is to bear the image of God and glorify Him all of the days of our life, then doesn't it make sense for us to make our one and true idol, God- the one who created us and knows us so intimately.

I find it absolutely fascinating that God makes the most intricate little things work together, how He literally planned everything to work towards this one purpose- to honor and glorify Him.

The rest of my week was pretty good! I got to go home last weekend and see my family and friends. I got to see my best friend perform in my favorite musical, Les Miserables. My sister also got to come up and see me from Wednesday to Sunday this week so she could come visit Link Year and see if it is something she wants to do (which she should!!). I would really appreciate some prayers for strength- it's really easy to find myself feeling tired a lot of the times. Thanks for reading my update for the week!