Derek’s Comments (group member since Mar 02, 2016)

Derek’s comments from the The Postmodern Student group.

Thanks for the wonderful and insightful post, Lamont! Truthfully, I've never a been a mentor, so I do agree with both Aubrey and Kim that I may not be ready either lol.....But we can do all things through Christ, so there's no need to worry! To answer the questions:

1. One of my best mentors has been my mom. She's always encouraged me to do my very best and to trust and honor God in everything I do. Even way back in high school, when I was getting bullied, she encouraged me to read Ephesians 6:10-18 (the armor of God) and Isaiah 54:17 (no weapon formed against you shall prosper) everyday before I went to school, so I could be reminded that God is with me and is fighting my battles for me. In college, I could always call and talk to her whenever I needed advice or prayer. Another mentor I've had is a man by the name of Lawrence Jones. He has been a wonderful male role model in my life, teaching me the Word and keeping me focused on God. I really value his mentorship because since my dad was never really involved in my life (especially in my teen and college years), I never really saw an example of what a Godly man is supposed to look like until now. I believe that both of these mentors foster the postures of mentorship by remembering what I need, listening to my experiences and situations and envisioning the wonderful plan God has for my life.

2. I think this ties back in to what Bishop McBath preached this past Sunday. Our lives our like a movie that tells the story of God's grace. We often go through tough situations so that God can get the glory afterwards, but also because we can help others who are going through those same situations. It's like the movie "War Room". Miss Clara wanted to help out Elizabeth, because she had been through the same situation. What Miss Clara learned in her situation, she taught to Elizabeth and she encouraged Elizabeth to do the same to another woman. It's the same with us. We have to teach young adults that it's not all about me, me, me. We have to encourage them that what we teach them, they have to go out and teach others. I believe that when young adults are encouraged to help others, it will destroy the urge to just be mediocre. If you don't believe in yourself, why would someone else would?

3. I agree with Kim on this one. I am a work in progress as well. I have gotten a lot better over the years, but I still have flaws (the urge to play video games for hours instead of reading my Bible still rears it's ugly head from time to time). There is always improvement in our Christian walk and I strive everyday to be more like Christ. I do believe I am an example of a Godly man that young adults can look up to. I do have my flaws, but thank God for His forgiveness through His Son, Jesus Christ!

Love you guys!
Derek T Allen

This is a wonderful and insightful post, Carrie!

1. I definitely agree with the authors that psychological factors in ones past can affect the success of relationships. I mentioned on Wednesday night that I never had a great relationship with my father and it didn't get any better as I got older. My dad was never really around the family much, so most of the time, it was just me, my mom and my sisters. Because of the lack of a father figure in my life, I grew more comfortable around women and didn't really know how to develop friendships and relationships with other men. I always had female friends, but never really had any male ones. But God has truly blessed me with brothers in Christ that truly care about me and help me to stay focused on God. The most important thing I learned was that even though I really didn't have a male role model growing up, I didn't let that hinder my relationships with others.

2. I don't think dating in itself is wrong, but I think it depends on how you approach it. I believe that dating can be a good thing if you honor God while doing it. I always use the story of Cornelius and Heather Lindsey as an example, because even though they did things together that would be considered a date (going to the movies, going out to dinner, etc.), they made sure that they didn't put themselves in a situation where they would be tempted. They didn't stay out late, they didn't talk on the phone all night long and didn't even kiss until their wedding day. They were attracted to each other, but they made sure to keep the focus on God and not let each other become bigger than Him. I think dating becomes a bad thing when it's only done on a casual scale and not for the goal of marriage (or if it leads to actions that don't honor God, like premarital sex). If marriage isn't the goal, what's the point? So, for me dating can be good or bad, depending on how it is approached and what the motives are.

(Also, if you guys hadn't read Cornelius Lindsey's book, "So You Want to Be Married?", I highly recommend it. I learned at lot about dating and honoring God from that book).

I do not believe that couples should practice cohabitation. As both Breyana and Carrie stated, cohabitation can cause couples to not see a good reason to get married, thinking that since they are already living together, what good will getting married do. I also believe that cohabiting can tempt couples in having premarital sex and engaging in other sexual activities that are only reserved for married people. I think that the argument that most couples use for thinking it's OK to live together before marriage is that they believe that nothing is going to happen. But it's always best not to put ourselves in situations that tempt us to do wrong. The enemy always likes to tempt us into doing wrong things by trying to contradict God's Word and convincing us that what we're about to do won't hurt us (the serpent did it to Eve in the Garden of Eden).

I also think that in today's society, people don't see marriage as sacred or necessary anymore. I think that a lot of couples know how much work goes into a marriage, and just don't want to put forth the effort. To them, it's much easier to live as roommates, and when things go wrong, they can just simply leave. Marriage takes commitment, and some people just aren't committed. But marriage is a beautiful thing! God created marriage to reflect His unconditional love for us. This is especially true for husbands who are to "love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her, to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's Word." (Ephesians 5:25-26). We need to get back to vision that God had for marriage: a special bond between a man and woman that reflects God's glory!

1. I think early in my life, most of my moral views were based on the things I did not like. I would automatically assume that something was wrong if I didn't like it, not because of a spiritual or biblical view. For example, for as long as I can remember, I have always hated cursing. I never like to hear people use profanity and I can't watch movies or TV shows that have too much in it. But as I got older and more mature in Christ, I started understanding why these things were wrong. It was not just because I disliked them, but because the Bible says they're wrong! Ephesians 4:29 says, "Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." So know I no longer just base my morality on what I like and don't like. I base it on what it says in God's Word. Anyone can say they don't do a certain thing and call themselves moral. But the question they must ask is are their morals rooted in God and His Word.

2. I believe a Biblical moral vision involves two things. First, having a relationship with God and surrendering your entire live to Him. The surrendering is important because when we accept Jesus into our lives, we no longer live for ourselves, we live for Him. The second thing that constitutes a Biblical moral vision is reading and understanding God's Word. Once you become a new creature in Christ, we lose the world's definition of morality and accept God's definition. I believe that we can help college students and young adults develop a Biblical moral vision by teaching them that we follow God's Word because of His unconditional love for us and our love for Him. One misconception of Christianity is that everyone thinks it's just a set of boring laws we have to follow, but that couldn't be further from the truth. This goes back to when we accept Christ into our lives, we no longer live for ourselves and our selfish desires. Our main goal is to live a life that is pleasing to God, no matter how or what the world may think. I believe the most important point is that God sacrificed His only Son for us while we were still in sin and because of this great sacrifice and love, we live for Him!

3. I believe in moral realism. I agree with the example Carrie gave about the Bible when it says that "it is impossible to please God without faith." It didn't say it's "pretty difficult", "somewhat hard", etc. God's Word doesn't change based on how one feels or a certain situation. But I also agree with Carrie in that there are certain situations where we must consider everything in order to make a moral decision, especially when it comes to the issue of dating.

4. I'll talk about each step in Ketran's model:
A). Developing a Biblical vision of human flourishing involves teaching young adults about using their gifts and talents for God. God created us to worship and honor Him and the best way to do that is to use the gifts He's given us for His glory. The vision should encourage young adults that God made us all for His glory!

B). We identify Biblical virtues by reading and understanding God's Word. We must encourage young adults that reading the Word of God is the best way to understand the plan and vision that God has for their lives.

C). I agree with what was already said above about reaching out to young adults via mentoring, worship events, etc. In my college campus ministry when I was in school, we used to reach out to others on campus by hosting worship services on Friday night. We also had separate Bible studies for the men and women every week so we could not only learn the Word, but also fellowship with others. We would also reach out to them on social media with words of wisdom and encouragement.

This was a wonderful and insightful post, Lamont! To answer your questions:

1. I am really glad we are talking about vocation and purpose, because what I have been dealing with the past few weeks as it pertains to my job, it is exactly what I needed. I majored in computer science in college, as I have always been interested in technology. About two years ago at my current job, a new programmer was hired. She was a Christian like me and she was really unfamiliar with the programming language we were using. I really enjoy encouraging and helping others, and I took the time to help her out whenever she needed help. Because we were both Christians, I was able to connect with her and we prayed for each other whenever we were faced with a tough situation. I believe God used me to help and encourage my co-worker and to lift her up. I've always had a gift of encouragement and God used my place of employment to help bring out my purpose. When this co-worker left my job, however, I realized that I had no one to help or encourage. And most recently I have felt that I haven't been able to have God's purpose shine in my office like it used to. I believe that this is the main reason that God wants to me to move from my current job (not just for a better salary or commute). God wants to use my purpose in my vocation to glorify Him!

2. I believe that God's main purpose for our lives is to glorify and honor Him in everything we do. I believe that includes not just work, but marriage, parenting, etc. As in my first answer, God brought about His purpose through me and my vocation by allowing me to help out and encourage my co-worker. But when she left, I felt like the purpose couldn't shine through in this particular job. While you can still honor God in your job by getting to work on time, meeting deadlines, etc., I believe that God wants to use our spiritual gifts and talents in the workplace as well. It's not just about getting a paycheck. God has a bigger purpose for every situation we are in! I see our vocations as not just a job, but as a way for God to display His glory through us.

3. I think we can encourage college students and young adults about their vocation and purpose by letting them know that it's not all about them. I know that's kind of hard in the self-centered society we live in today, but if we look at the life of Jesus, we see that everything He did, from healing the sick to raising the dead, to dying on the cross was for someone else. Christ was the ultimate servant, and if we want to be like Him we have to "lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). We have to teach young adults that they have to put down their selfish desires for God's glory!

(P.S. Sorry for the long answers, but this is something that has really been on my heart!)

This was a wonderful and insightful post, Kim! To answer your questions:

1. The one experience during my college career that really shaped my belief of church attendance was my participation in my campus' Christian organization. Being in this organization allowed me to be with other Christians who were heading in the same direction as I was and to help me to grow and strengthen my relationship with Christ. While it's important to have your alone time with God, it's just as important to have accountability partners who can make sure you are focusing on God. As Proverbs 27:17 says, "as iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend." Church attendance also allows us to continuously learn and understanding God’s Word. A verse that keeps me grounded is Matthew 6:33: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you." Attending church on a regular basis is one of many was to seek His Kingdom!

2. I believe that one of the ways we can encourage college students and young adults is to use their unique gifts and talents for Christ. We have to encourage them that God has a plan and purpose for everyone and He wants us to glorify Him in everything we do. As for fostering interpersonal relationships, I think it's important to get young adults together and teach them the Word of God in a way they can understand. During my time in the Student Christian Association (my college's Christian organization), we used to have an event every Friday night that included a mix of praise, worship and the teaching of the Word. It was church, but it was casual enough to allow students to get to know each other and form those relationships.

3. I think building on the church's mission simply involves showing a love and compassion for those young adults that may have lost their way or are hurting or broken. No matter where they are in life, we need to teach them that there is a God who loves them and wants to make them whole. We need to have the same compassion Jesus had for sinners when He said, "Healthy people don’t need a doctor-- sick people do." (Matthew 9:12). Once young adults start becoming healed by the power of Jesus, God will use them to build up His church!

Thanks for the wonderful post, Carrie! Great job!

To answer your questions:

1. I agree with Kim that today's generation is obsessed with being popular in the realms of social media, group meetings, etc. I believe that this want for popularity causes their identity to be based on what others think of them and not who they truly are in Christ. I also see that today's society has placed such an emphasis on being independent and "doing me". As Lamont mentioned with Thomas, this can cause people to believe that they can do everything on their own to the point that they see themselves as God. But Jesus says in John 15:5 that "apart from Me, you can do nothing." This is the attitude we must have in order to live for Christ!

2. I believe what stops emerging adults from forming an identity in Christ is the concept of surrendering all to Jesus. As I mentioned last night, in the story of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-30), he had no problems with following the commandments, but when it can to selling everything he had and following Jesus (surrender!) he couldn't do it and walked away. I believe a lot of people want to have a relationship with Christ, but still want to hold on to their earthly possessions.

3. As I stated yesterday, my own path to identity formation started in high school when I started reading Bible verses to combat against bullying. I really started to grow in college and was blessed to join a Christian organization on campus. Being around like-minded people trying achieve the same goal of Heaven helped strengthen my relationship with Christ. As Kim stated, I don't think our growing in Christ ever ends until we reach heaven. I, for one, continue to grow in Christ every day. I believe the best way for our ministry to be effective is to teach college students the Word of God and to let them know that their identity is in Christ Jesus!

Great post Kenay! I agree with Breyana that we have to show others the Christ in us by the way we live. I believe that if we are truly living for Christ and letting Him shine within us, it will draw others who are not living for God to us. God causes us to stand out so others will wonder more about us. We can then use this opportunity to share our faith and the Word with them.

As for staying away from man made idols, I believe it's a matter of dying to our flesh daily and keeping our focus on God. It's not always easy, because the flesh always wants to be in control. But we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us and can do all things through Christ! It's all about keeping our priorities in order and making sure we are fitting our schedule around God and not fitting God around our schedule. As Breyana said, it's alright to appreciate things, but those things can't take precedence over God.

Thanks Lamont! Your response was great (and it wasn't too long lol). But I do agree with you, especially with how we want to be the captains of our own ship and do things our own way. I used to struggle with this; just trying to force things to happen on my own because I wanted the result to be what I wanted. But I've learned that when I try to do things on my own without God, they usually fail. It's important to always trust God's plan, but the flesh always wants to be in control. That's why we must die to it daily.

Thanks Aubrey! Your response was great as well. In this world of technology and "selfies", it's easy to only look out for ourselves. We definitely have to remember that apart from God, we can do nothing. I love what it says in James 4:10: "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." Everything we do should be to honor and glorify God!

Hey guys! It's Derek and I've been asked to start the next topic of our book. This week, we are covering Chapter 1, which is called "Faith: The Emerging Adult Landscape."

This chapter mainly focuses on how emerging adults today are not really dedicated to having a strong relationship with Christ. The chapter begins with a young man named Jim, who eagerly describes all of the wonderful milestones he's accomplished (his new job, new relationship, etc.), but when Jim is asked about his faith life, he is less enthusiastic about it. He simply describes it as "fine."

One of the main points I took from this chapter is that "most emerging adults are characterized not by religious hostility but rather by a growing apathy and indifference to the life of faith." In other words, while most emerging adults accept God, they don't really make an effort to make God an important part of their lives. The book states that "emerging adults are not antagonistic toward the Christian faith. For most, it would seem, faith is something "neither hot nor cold"---a tasteless product that has been pushed to the periphery."

This reminded me of what it says in the book of Revelation:
"But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:16 NLT). We are either fully committed to God or not at all. There is no middle ground.

The book states that many emerging adults don't have time for God because they become overwhelmed with the realities of life (paying bills, studying for exams, preparing for job interviews are some of the examples the book gives). I believe that it is during the times we are stressed the most is when we need God the most! But I also think that emerging adults don't make time for God because they want to be in control and know the ending to every situation in their lives. They may acknowledge Christ as their Savior, but have not made Christ the Lord of their lives. That takes sacrifice and surrender.

What about you? Why do you think so many people our age have placed God in the background and don't give Him the time of day? What do you think is stopping us from truly surrendering to Him? I look forward to reading your responses!

I do agree with the psychologists' analysis that there are certain milestones that describe adulthood (such as getting married, buying a house, etc.). But I also believe that, while these milestones are used to describe adulthood, having them doesn't necessarily make you and adult. You can be married, but still be an immature person. I believe that being mature and knowing how to take care of the these particular milestones is a true sign of being an adult.

I agree with you, Lamont, that our journey into adulthood is all about God maturing us to make us more like Him. I believe that if we honor God with what milestones He has blessed us with, we will show the true maturity that God wants to see in us. My vision for adulthood is honoring God with our lives and allowing us to grow in Him, while He makes us more like Jesus.